Trump Broke the Agencies That Were Supposed To Stop the Covid-19 Epidemic. The government agencies designed to protect us are riddled with vacancies and temporary officials. No wonder we’re facing a catastrophe. Adams’ metaphor of this as our new “9/11 moment” is more apt than he likely intended: Comparing the events is about more than just a story of casualties—it is also a story about government’s failure. Both Pearl Harbor and the 9/11 attacks occurred, in part, because the U.S. government and intelligence failed to see the attacks looming. We were caught unprepared, and Americans paid for that mistake with their lives. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/04/07/trump-dismantled-the-very-jobs-meant-to-stop-the-covid-19-epidemic-173347 via @politico

Trump’s Aggressive Advocacy of Malaria Drug for Treating Coronavirus Divides Medical Community. Mr. Trump himself has a small personal financial interest in Sanofi, the French drugmaker that makes Plaquenil, the brand-name version of hydroxychloroquine. https://nyti.ms/3aQOpwi

Trump’s Aggressive Advocacy of Malaria Drug for Treating Coronavirus Divides Medical Community. Mr. Trump himself has a small personal financial interest in Sanofi, the French drugmaker that makes Plaquenil, the brand-name version of hydroxychloroquine. https://nyti.ms/3aQOpwi

U.S. Constitution

U.S. Constitution Annotated. This edition of the Congressional Research Service's U.S. Constitution Annotated is a hypertext interpretation of the CRS text, updated to the currently published version. It links to Supreme Court opinions, the U.S. Code, and the Code of Federal Regulations, as well as enhancing navigation through search, breadcrumbs, linked footnotes and tables of contents. https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution-conan

2020 Elections

Polls, Models, Theories

Column: Democratic turmoil and a long-term warning for the GOP. Stepping back from this momentum swing for the GOP was Ron Nehring, former chairman of the California and San Diego Republican parties. He took to social media on acquittal day to remind fellow Republicans — as he has regularly in recent years — that they need to focus on addressing long-term trends that do not favor the GOP. We’re at the top of the business cycle, borrowing $1T per year. How are we doing on reforming some big budget items to get that under control? Or are we just going to (scrap) the whole “fiscal responsibility” thing? https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/columnists/story/2020-02-09/column-former-gop-leader-urges-party-to-take-the-long-view

An Unsettling New Theory: There Is No Swing Voter. Rachel Bitecofer’s radical new theory predicted the midterms spot-on. So who’s going to win 2020? And today her model tells her the Democrats are a near lock for the presidency in 2020, and are likely to gain House seats and have a decent shot at retaking the Senate. If she’s right, we are now in a post-economy, post-incumbency, post record-while-in-office era of politics. Her analysis, as Bitecofer puts it with characteristic immodesty, amounts to nothing less than “flipping giant paradigms of electoral theory upside down.” https://politi.co/2OMBgf5 via @politico

Poll: Large majorities of black, Hispanic voters say Trump has been bad for them. Just 4 percent of African Americans surveyed said that Trump's actions have been good for African Americans in general, while 81 percent said he’s made things worse. Sixty-nine percent of Hispanic respondents said Trump’s actions have been bad for Hispanics generally, while only 19 percent think they’ve been good. Both African Americans and Latinos also overwhelmingly said Trump's actions have been bad for each other, as well as Muslims and women. Among white Americans respondents, roughly a third said Trump’s actions have been good for black Americans, women and Hispanics, while about a quarter said they have been good for Muslims. Forty-seven percent said Trump’s actions have been bad for Hispanics, 44 percent said they’ve been bad for Muslims and 39 percent said they’ve been bad for women and black Americans. https://thehill.com/homenews/463741-poll-large-majorities-of-black-hispanic-voters-say-trump-has-been-bad-for-them

Fox News Poll: Voters are frustrated with government, nervous about economy. Many voters are frustrated with how the federal government is working and a growing number are nervous about the economy -- yet ratings of economic conditions remain higher than before President Trump took office, according to the latest Fox News Poll. While 37 percent feel confident about the economy, 48 percent feel nervous. That’s up from a low of 43 percent nervous in March 2019. At the highest point, 70 percent felt nervous in 2010 when the question was first asked, and it was 61 percent as recently as 2016. https://fxn.ws/2NoxFo2 #FoxNews

Trump: Republicans like Paul Ryan are 'weak, ineffective & stupid'. Trump followed up his latest attack on Ryan by touting his current approval rating among Republicans. "94% Approval Rating in the Republican Party, an all time high. Ronald Reagan was 87%. Thank you!" Trump wrote in a follow up tweet. Trump is polling at 90 percent with Republicans according to the latest Gallup poll. According to the latest POLITICO/Morning Consult poll, Trump has an 85 percent approval rating among potential GOP primary voters. https://politi.co/2Lktw3M

Biden leads Trump by 'landslide proportions' in new national poll. In a national head-to-head matchup, the poll found Biden taking 53 percent against 40 percent for Trump, with the poll's assistant director describing it as a "landslide" margin. Five other Democratic contenders also lead the president: Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) hold healthy leads over Trump, with Sanders up by 9 points, Harris ahead by 8 and Warren leading by 7. South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) lead Trump by 5 points, with each posting a 47 to 42 split. https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/447972-biden-leads-trump-by-landslide-proportions-in-new-national-poll

Populist economic frustration threatens Trump’s strongest reelection issue, Post-ABC poll finds. This sentiment runs the deepest among Democratic and independent registered voters, but also exists among a significant slice of Republicans. About 8 in 10 Democrats and more than 6 in 10 independents say the country’s economic system gives an advantage to those already in power, while nearly a third of Republicans share that view. https://wapo.st/2V07XKQ

Trump

Fred Guttenberg @fred_guttenberg Remember this @marcorubio? "For years to come, there are many people on the right, in the media & voters at large that are gonna be having to explain & justify how they fell into this trap of supporting Trump, because this is not gonna end well." VIDEO https://twitter.com/fred_guttenberg/status/1244311313922363394

Donald, I'm prepared to do whatever it takes to beat you and save our democracy. — Tom Steyer (@TomSteyer) https://twitter.com/TomSteyer/status/1233997567286861825 >March 1, 2020
I would find it hard to believe that failed presidential candidates Tom Steyer, or Mini Mike Bloombeg, would contribute to the Democrat Party, even against me, after the way they have been treated - laughed at & mocked. The real politicians ate them up and spit them out! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)

Crazy, chaotic Democrat Debate last night. Fake News said Biden did well, even though he said half of our population was shot to death. Would be OVER for most. Mini Mike was weak and unsteady, but helped greatly by his many commercials (which are not supposed to be allowed....during a debate). Pocahontas was mean, & undisciplined, mostly aiming at Crazy Bernie and Mini Mike. They don’t know how to handle her, but I know she is a “chocker”. Steyer was a disaster who, along with Mini, are setting records in $’s per vote. Just give me an opponent! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1232657640515342336 February 26, 2020

Trump Thinks Supporters Need Website to School ‘Liberal Snowflakes’ at Christmas. “This year, don’t let them get away with it,” Trump’s campaign manager tweeted. The site also wants Trump supporters to know that they understand how tough they have it, especially this time of year, writing, “Holidays are rough – especially when Democrats and liberal members of your family try and tell you fake news media spun lies about President Trump and his accomplishments.” The site reminds supporters that although there will be good times during their visits with family and friends, liberals in denial of Trump’s greatness will always be around to spoil things, writing, “Family holidays. Full of love. Full of laughter. And full of the inevitable conversations with the family liberal who just does not want to believe how great America is doing with President Trump in office.” https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-campaign-site-school-liberal-snowflakes-who-run-and-hide-during-christmas-argument-931216/ via @RollingStone

Trump campaign encourages supporters to confront their ‘snowflake’ relatives. A new website is intended to help his fans triumph in holiday arguments. “We know that at Christmas and holiday time, there’s always that liberal snowflake relative who starts an argument and then runs and hides,” Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale tweeted. “This year, don’t let them get away with it.” "Nothing says Merry Christmas like hurling insults at relatives," responded former DNC spokesman Mo Elleithee. https://politi.co/35QQcPA via @pol

Trump campaign plagued by groups raising tens of millions in his name. Outside entities are raising huge money in Trump's name, despite disavowals from the campaign, and spending little of it on 2020. The groups mimic Trump’s brand in the way they look and feel. They borrow the president’s Twitter avatar on Facebook pages, use clips of Trump’s voice in robocalls asking for “an emergency contribution to the campaign” and, in some cases, have been affiliated with former Trump aides, such as onetime deputy campaign manager David Bossie. But most are spending little money to help the president win in 2020, POLITICO found. https://politi.co/36ZeMOq via @politico

Trump has concluded his longest rally speech ever, which was also one of most bitter and most rambling. Tweet thread here: Trump is holding a campaign rally in Battle Creek, Michigan. Quotes and fact checks in this thread. — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) https://twitter.com/ddale8/status/1207447789237624832 December 18, 2019

Trump on removal of protester at rally: 'We don't want to be politically correct'. Trump became noticeably frustrated after a woman wearing a black knit "#MeToo" hat and carrying a "grabbing power back" sign disrupted his speech. After stepping a way from the lectern, Trump returned to microphone and repeatedly stated, "get her out." Video shared on social media showed the woman walking around in circles and shouting as a security guard tried to contain her. Security eventually escorted her out of the arena. Footage showed one rally attendee attempting to snatch her sign as she neared an exit. https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/474012-trump-on-removal-of-protester-at-rally-we-dont-want-to-be

Trump in a landslide? This historically accurate model predicts exactly that. According to Moody’s Analytics, Trump is headed toward another four years in the White House. And, if the numbers are right, it won’t even be close. In fact, his Electoral College victory could very well be wider than the 304-227 margin he enjoyed over Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. Since 1980, Moody’s has managed to nail the outcome every time but once — like many, it didn’t see Trump coming. “Under the current Moody’s Analytics baseline economic outlook, which does not forecast any recession, the 2020 election looks like Trump’s to lose,” the authors wrote. “Democrats can still win if they are able to turn out the vote at record levels, but, under normal turnout conditions, the president is projected to win.” https://on.mktw.net/31jJcHO

Raw, angry, uncensored: Welcome to Trump's impeachment-era campaign. The president's latest rallies show a bare-knuckled approach the likes of which voters have never seen before. https://politi.co/31dtf6h via @politico

Unpaid bills pile up in Trump rallies’ wake. Cities across the country say the president’s campaign has failed to reimburse them for law enforcement costs. https://politi.co/2p1B6Gs via @politico

'Welcome to Minneapolis': Trump rally roils liberal bastion, October 09, 2019 Trump traded Twitter insults with the Minneapolis mayor over who should pay more than $500,000 in security costs for Thursday’s rally at a downtown arena. He denounced Jacob Frey as a “Radical Left” lightweight and blasted the Democrat for a police policy banning officers from wearing their uniforms in support of political candidates. He sprinkled in a reference to his favorite foil — the city’s Rep. Ilhan Omar — just for good measure. “Yawn,” Frey tweeted back. “Welcome to Minneapolis where we pay our bills, we govern with integrity, and we love all of our neighbors.” It was just a warmup to Trump’s first campaign rally since being engulfed in the swirl of an impeachment investigation, an event expected to pack an extra punch. Heading to Omar’s home turf, a liberal outpost in the Midwest, Trump quickly stirred up passions and partisanship as few politicians can. https://apnews.com/3bec9d8af91149e7889e0cd21515aa1a

Unpaid bills pile up in Trump rallies’ wake. In city after city, across the nation, Trump has failed to pay local officials who provide thousands of dollars’ worth of security assistance to the president’s campaign during his Make America Great Again rallies. https://politi.co/2p1B6Gs via @politico

Donald Trump's Minneapolis rally to be met with mass protests: "'America First' is a racist lie" Members from the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), the Anti-War Committee, Twin Cities Coalition for Justice for Jamar, and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) union will hold demonstrate against Trump's political rally in a protest at the Target Center from 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 10. https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-minneapolis-rally-protest-minnesota-1463755

Trump 2020 press secretary: President has never lied to American people. President Donald Trump’s campaign press secretary got into a heated debate with CNN’s Chris Cuomo last night when she said she does not believe the president has ever told a lie. Leaving Cuomo stunned, Kayleigh McEnany said firmly and repeatedly that President Donald Trump 'doesn’t lie. The press lies.” “You don’t think this president has lied to the American people?” Cuomo pressed McEnany. “Let me finish, Chris.” McEnany said as the two talked over each other. “No, I don’t think the president has lied.” https://news.yahoo.com/trump-2020-press-secretary-president-150401960.html

This is the reporting that set Trump off August 28, 2019: 2020 Democratic hopefuls are down to the wire to meet the requirements to take the stage at the third debate Xochitl Hinojosa https://video.foxnews.com/v/6078446566001/

It appears to be the latest chapter in efforts to discredit news organizations. As the 2020 election heats up, President Donald Trump is reportedly getting a little help from a loose network of allies to target journalists who may write critical stories. In what appears to be the latest chapter of efforts by President Donald Trump’s allies to attack the messenger, the New York Times reports that conservative activists have compiled “dossiers of potentially embarrassing social media posts and other public statements by hundreds of people who work at some of the country’s most prominent news organizations.” The group has already released some of the information but those familiar with the effort say that is only a small part of what they have on file, ready to release whenever it is convenient. And it isn’t just journalists who may be targeted, but also their family members. https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/08/trump-allies-network-smear-journalists-dossiers-embarrassing.html via @slate

Trump mocks appearance of rally protester: 'That guy's got a serious weight problem'. "That guy’s got a serious weight problem. Go home, start exercising," Trump said as the individual who interrupted Trump's speech was escorted out of the arena. "Get him out of here please. Got a bigger problem than I do,” Trump quipped. “Got a bigger problem than all of us. Now he goes home and his mom says, 'What the hell have you just done?'" Cameras showed multiple protesters being escorted out of the arena after the crowd began booing and chanting "U.S.A." The interruption came as Trump slammed Democrats, accusing them of demeaning law enforcement and describing their opponents as "fascists and Nazis." https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/457652-trump-mocks-appearance-of-protester-that-guys-got-a-serious-weight-problem

Scaramucci: GOP may need to replace Trump for 2020. "We are now in the early episodes of 'Chernobyl' on HBO, where the reactor is melting down and the apparatchiks are trying to figure out whether to cover it up or start the clean-up process," Scaramucci, who was ousted from his job after 11 days, told the outlet. "A couple more weeks like this and 'country over party' is going to require the Republicans to replace the top of the ticket in 2020." Scaramucci, a prominent Republican donor, said that if Trump "doesn't reform his behavior, it will not just be me, but many others will be considering helping to find a replacement in 2020." "Right now, it's an unspeakable thing," he continued. "But if he keeps it up, it will no longer be unspeakable. The minute they start speaking of it, it will circulate and be socialized. We can't afford a full nuclear contamination site post 2020." https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/457050-scaramucci-gop-may-need-to-replace-trump-for-2020

Trump urges rally attendees not to chant 'send her back'; he also says Harris had 'bad' debate night. President Trump told reporters outside the White House on Thursday that he hopes attendees at his evening rally in Cincinnati don't chant about sending members of Congress back to their home countries -- but added that the situation might be beyond his control. Last month, a Trump rally in North Carolina led to a "send her back" chant directed at Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar. Trump said the next day he disagreed with the chant, and was "not happy with it." "I don't know that you can stop people," Trump said. "We'll see what we can do. I'd prefer that they don't. But if they do it, we'll have to make a decision then." https://fxn.ws/2yvRSiE #FoxNews

Two Unofficial US Operatives Reporting To Trump’s Lawyer Privately Lobbied A Foreign Government In A Bid To Help The President Win In 2020. Reporting directly to Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, two operators waged a brazen back-channel campaign that could thrust another foreign country to the center of the next US election. In a whirlwind of private meetings, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman — who pumped hundreds of thousands of dollars into Republican campaigns and dined with the president — gathered repeatedly with top officials in Ukraine and set up meetings for Trump's attorney Rudy Giuliani as they turned up information that could be weaponized in the 2020 presidential race. The two men urged prosecutors to investigate allegations against Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden. And they pushed for a probe into accusations that Ukrainian officials plotted to rig the 2016 election in Hillary Clinton’s favor by leaking evidence against Paul Manafort, Trump’s campaign chair, in what became a cornerstone of the special counsel’s inquiry. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/mikesallah/rudy-giuliani-ukraine-trump-parnas-fruman via @BuzzFeedNews

The Republican Party is the Party for ALL Americans. We are the Party of the American Worker, the American Family & the American Dream. This is the proud banner the Republican Party will carry into the Republican National Convention next summer in the great city of Charlotte, NC! Make America White Again! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1151668590359265280 July 18, 2019

How Trump could have terrible economic timing. Signs of a slowdown are mounting with weaker job growth, reduced manufacturing activity and a nervous Federal Reserve hinting at slashing interest rates — suggesting that Trump could suffer from terrible economic timing. https://politi.co/31QRCb7

Trump says “probably not” prepared to lose in 2020, doesn’t believe he lost popular vote. President Donald Trump said he isn’t prepared to lose the 2020 presidential election. In the interview with NBC’s Meet the Press that aired Sunday, Trump also said he does not believe the official vote count of the 2016 election, illustrating how losing the popular vote is still a sore subject for the president. “No. Probably not,” Trump said when asked whether he was “prepared to lose” in 2020. “It would be much better if I said, ‘Yeah.’ It would be much easier for me to say, ‘Oh yes.’ No I’m probably not too prepared to lose. I don’t like losing. I haven’t lost very much in my life.” https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/06/trump-not-prepared-lose-reelection-lost-popular-vote.html via @slate

Chris Coons: Going forward, if a foreign adversary offers a presidential candidate dirt on a competitor, should they immediately turn it over to the FBI?
Bill Barr: [long pause before answering] — Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) https://twitter.com/keithboykin/status/1123644534053851136 May 1, 2019

Trump says he would accept dirt on political rivals from foreign governments. President Donald Trump says he would listen if a foreign government approached him with damaging information about a political rival -- and wouldn't necessarily report the contact to the FBI. "I think you might want to listen, there isn't anything wrong with listening," Trump said in an interview with ABC News that aired on Wednesday. "I think I'd want to hear it," Trump went on, downplaying the idea such a move by another country would amount to election interference. Asked Wednesday whether he would take opposition research being peddled by another government, Trump said he likely would. "It's not an interference, they have information -- I think I'd take it," Trump said. "If I thought there was something wrong, I'd go maybe to the FBI -- if I thought there was something wrong." "I'll tell you what, I've seen a lot of things over my life. I don't think in my whole life I've ever called the FBI. In my whole life. You don't call the FBI," he said. "You throw somebody out of your office, you do whatever you do." "Life doesn't work that way," Trump said. @CNNPolitics https://cnn.it/2WFxLNi

‘It’s entirely inappropriate’: Trump shot a political video on Air Force One. Seated behind a desk on Air Force One, the presidential seal over his left shoulder, President Trump shot a short video Thursday, blasting New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s entry into the 2020 race. “If you like high taxes and if you like crime, you can vote for him — but most people aren’t into that,” the president said to the camera. Trump’s use of taxpayer-funded transportation to post a political message raises some legal and ethics questions. But possibly the greatest crime, some experts say, is the breakdown of norms. “It’s entirely inappropriate, and it is against historical norms for a president to be campaigning from Air Force One,” said Paul S. Ryan, vice president of policy and litigation at Common Cause, a nonpartisan watchdog group. “Most presidents have had enough respect for the office to try to separate campaigning from formal duties. Donald Trump is not such a president.” https://wapo.st/2QdgGUr

Trump mocks rivals at official event. Speaking at a liquified natural gas facility near Lake Charles, La., Trump singled out former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas), South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). “Boy, you got some beauties there. Three hundred fifty million people and that’s the best we can do. I don’t think so,” he quipped. Past presidents generally refrained from injecting partisan politics into official White House events paid for with public funds, but Trump has frequently broken that norm during his time in office. The president joked about the dynamic last August when he noted how many reporters traveled with him to Charlotte, N.C., for a bill signing during the lead-up to the midterm elections, saying “it's like a political event and you don't even have to pay for it.” https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/443689-trump-mocks-rivals-at-official-event

Analysis | Nancy Pelosi is worried Trump won’t give up power if he loses in 2020. He just underscored why. Trump tweeted Sunday that his first two years were “stolen” (actually, he originally said they were “stollen” before he fixed his tweet) by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation. And he reposted an inaccuracy-filled message from one of his supporters, conservative leader Jerry Falwell Jr., saying two years should be added to Trump’s term because Trump and his orbit had been investigated by the special counsel for his first two. “Reparations” is what Falwell called it, an idea Trump appeared to endorse by sharing it with his 60 million Twitter followers and then expounding on why he felt he deserved more time in office than the Constitution allows. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/05/06/nancy-pelosi-is-worried-trump-wont-give-up-power-he-just-underscored-why/

Trump crackdown on ‘3 stooges of socialism’ has 2020 thrust. On the 58th anniversary of the Bay of Pigs invasion, President Trump’s national security adviser John Bolton addressed a group of Cuban American veterans of the failed effort to topple Fidel Castro's regime and announced a series of crackdowns on Cuba and its allies.It was part of a call to arms to fight socialism abroad, but it was also a message for domestic consumption — particularly in Florida, the nation’s largest swing state and home to large Cuban American and Central and South American communities. In all, Bolton announced seven crackdowns and sanctions targeting the governments in Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, which he referred to as the “troika of tyranny.” Bolton nicknamed Cuba’s Miguel Díaz-Canel, Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro and Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega “the three stooges of socialism.” But he also mentioned former U.S. President Barack Obama, whose Cuba rapprochement policies Trump has been rolling back, more than anyone else. https://politi.co/2PhV7Bv

Trump campaign punishes Don McGahn's law firm. But close Trump advisers say the decision also stems from disappointment with the White House’s former top attorney and current Jones Day partner, Don McGahn, whose behavior has irked the president and some of his family members. Taking business away from Jones Day is payback, these advisers say, for McGahn’s soured relationship with the Trump family and a handful articles in high-profile newspapers that the family blames, unfairly or not, on the former White House counsel. https://politi.co/2GpvSte via @politico

Trump predicts 'Crazy Bernie Sanders,' 'Sleepy Joe Biden' will be 2 Dem 'finalists' in 2020 race. I believe it will be Crazy Bernie Sanders vs. Sleepy Joe Biden as the two finalists to run against maybe the best Economy in the history of our Country (and MANY other great things)! I look forward to facing whoever it may be. May God Rest Their Soul! https://fxn.ws/2Xg9klt #FoxNews

Tulsi Gabbard born April 12, 1981 is an American politician and Hawaii Army National Guard major serving as the U.S. Representative for Hawaii's 2nd congressional district. Elected in 2012, she is the first practicing Hindu and the first Samoan-American member of Congress. Gabbard's announcement of her intention to seek the Democratic nomination in the 2020 US presidential election made her the first female combat veteran to run for president. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulsi_Gabbard

Tulsi Gabbard say that she doesn’t control the Russian bots that support her, but she did control the hiring of Chris Cooper, the smear campaigner who was paid by Natalia Veselnitskaya and her Russian backed sponsors to smear me and try to repeal the Magnitsky Act in DC — Bill Browder (@Billbrowder) https://twitter.com/Billbrowder/status/1185836541295415297 October 20, 2019

“It’s time to hold Mark Zuckerberg accountable.’ “Breaking news: Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook just endorsed Donald Trump for re-election,” the ad reads. “You’re probably shocked, and you might be thinking, ‘how could this possibly be true?’ Well, it’s not. (Sorry.)” The ad then goes on to state that Zuckerberg has “given Donald Trump free rein to lie on his platform.” Although television networks usually reject ads with blatant falsehoods, “Facebook just cashes Trump’s checks.” The presidential hopeful then goes on to say that Facebook “already helped elect Donald Trump once” and is now “deliberately allowing a candidate to intentionally lie to the American people. It’s time to hold Mark Zuckerberg accountable.” https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/10/elizabeth-warren-trolls-facebook-ad-zuckerberg-supports-trump.html via @slate

Democratic Party embraces nonreligious voters, criticizes 'religious liberty' in new resolution. In 2012, the last election Democrats won, a headline from the convention read: "Democrats boo God." In 2016, attendees heckled a preacher during the opening prayer. And on Saturday, Democrats took a shot at believers who use "religious liberty" to threaten the civil rights of LGBTQ Americans. https://fxn.ws/2ZAMB8y

Gingrich amazed by 'level of anger' from Warren, Sanders: It's the 'opposite' of how presidency is won. “I watched the first night. It was amazing the level of anger that you got out of both Bernie Sanders and Senator Warren. I mean, these are really angry people. It was kind of amazing to watch them,” Gingrich told "America’s Newsroom," reacting to the Democratic primary debates earlier this week. “It’s the opposite of how people normally win the presidency. You go back and you watch Barack Obama with a big smile, you watch Ronald Reagan with a big smile. I don’t remember us electing an angry president literally in my lifetime. And yet you had these people who were almost in a rage,” he said. https://fxn.ws/2LXkRUZ #FoxNews

The facts behind Gabbard and Biden's attack on Kamala Harris' prosecutor record. “I am proud of the work we did. Work that has received national recognition for what has been the important work of reforming a criminal justice system and cleaning up the consequences of the bills that you passed when you were in the United States Senate for decades,” she told Biden as she jabbed at him for his role as a senator from Delaware crafting the now controversial 1994 crime bill. https://fxn.ws/2LUe66o #FoxNews

Elizabeth Warren summed up the Democratic debate in 9 seconds. There was no Joe Biden. So John Delaney would have to do. By the 80th minute of Tuesday’s Democratic presidential debate in Detroit, Elizabeth Warren had finally had enough. “I don’t understand,” she said, “why someone would go through all the trouble of running for president of the United States just to tell us what we can’t do and what you won’t fight for.” https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/07/elizabeth-warren-summed-up-the-democratic-debate-in-9-seconds/ via @MotherJones

Kamala Harris Shuts Down Meghan McCain for Siding With Joe Biden. Meghan McCain tried to pull a “gotcha” moment on “The View,” and Kamala Harris wasn’t having any of it. “Well, you know what?” Harris continued. “We’re on a debate stage, and if you have not prepared and you’re not ready for somebody to point out a difference of opinion about the history of segregation in our country and what was necessary to deal with that, which at that time was busing, then you’re probably not ready.” https://www.thedailybeast.com/kamala-harris-shuts-down-the-views-meghan-mccain-for-siding-with-joe-biden

Kamala Harris Lays Out Trump’s ‘Rap Sheet’ in Fiery Speech. “We have in this White House a president who says he wants to make America great again. Well, what does that mean? Does that mean he wants to take us back to before schools were integrated? Does that mean he wants to take us back to before the Voting Rights Act was enacted? Does that mean he wants to take us back before the Civil Rights Act was enacted? Does he mean he wants to take us back before Roe v. Wade was enacted? Because we’re not going back. We’re not going back,” Harris said forcefully. https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/kamala-harris-trumps-rap-sheet-851501/ via @RollingStone

California's Democratic Party Is in Chaos. The California Democratic Party has been united on at least one thing since the 2016 election: defeating Trump in 2020. But they’re in a state of chaos over their own party’s priorities, and that made this year’s party chair election particularly loaded — and heated. Since Republicans are few and far between in the state legislature, the state's Democrats keep busy battling amongst themselves, particularly on issues like single-payer healthcare and the merits of impeachment. Activist candidate Kimberly Ellis wanted to push the party further to the left — which is likely why she lost to labor leader Rusty Hicks on Saturday for the coveted position. Before the election Ellis had harsh words about the party infighting, calling it a “toxic culture” rife with abuse, bullying, harassment, and retaliation. https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/zmpwqj/californias-democratic-party-is-in-chaos

Trump gives nod to vulnerable GOP Sen. McSally with bill signing. The Arizona Republican is running next year to serve the remaining two years of the late Sen. John McCain’s (R) term. McSally was appointed to the Senate in December after McCain’s death in August, with former Sen. Jon Kyl (R) serving in the interim months. However, she was defeated by Democrat Kyrsten Sinema in the 2018 race to replace retiring Sen. Jeff Flake (R). Sinema’s victory made the Grand Canyon State a top priority for Democrats, who have successfully recruited a top-tier challenger in Kelly. Kelly announced earlier this month he raised a staggering $4 million in the first quarter of 2019, with the average online contribution amounting to $25. The Arizona Democrat also has high name recognition as a former astronaut and husband to former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), who narrowly survived a shooting in 2011. The two have since become high-profile advocates for gun control reform. McSally hauled in about $2 million in the first quarter of 2019, according to a Federal Election Commission filing. Republicans hope to defend their 53-47 Senate majority next year as a handful of GOP incumbents face tough Democratic challengers in states like Colorado, Maine, North Carolina, Iowa and Arizona. https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/439217-trump-gives-nod-to-vulnerable-gop-sen-mcsally-with-bill-signing

Democrats could dodge messy Arizona primary after Gallego passes on Senate. Arizona Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego will not run for Senate next year, choosing not to enter a contentious primary that could have hurt Democrats' chances to flip the Republican-held seat. Gallego’s decision likely clears the way for Mark Kelly to become the party’s nominee to challenge Republican Sen. Martha McSally, who was appointed after losing the race for Arizona’s other Senate seat in 2018. Kelly — a former astronaut and Navy veteran who is considered Democrats' best Senate recruit so far this cycle — is the husband of former Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-Ariz.), who was shot in 2011 when she was in office. bid https://politi.co/2Os9mn1

RNC chair defends GOP donor platform in tense meeting. Ronna Romney McDaniel choked up as she addressed rumors surrounding the rollout of WinRed, the Trump-endorsed online donor platform. Republican leaders are determined to make WinRed the sole online donation platform for the party, and they are taking an uncompromising approach with those who’ve been reluctant to get on board with the new program — which has rankled segments of the party rank and file. https://politi.co/2ZpfxNe

Militias Capitalizing on GOP Rhetoric Heading Into Election Season. These militias have seized on the words and policies of lawmakers, some of whom welcome their assistance, to further their cause. This campaign season will likely offer more of these opportunities for an entrenched network of far-right extremists. “Send bachelors and come heavily armed,” Sen. Brian Boquist threatened upon hearing of Oregon Gov. Kate Brown hinting at dispatching state police to round up and return him along with the other missing legislators. “I’m not going to be a political prisoner in the state of Oregon.” Boquist’s remarks imply that state police officers would be met with lethal violence and warn that only officers without spouses should be dispatched. - Southern Poverty Law Center https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2019/07/31/militias-capitalizing-gop-rhetoric-heading-election-season

Meet the GOP operatives who aim to smear the 2020 Democrats — but keep bungling it. It matters little whether Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl's claims are proved — they hardly ever are. But in an era when notions about truth and fiction have been upended, it's now a more dangerous game. https://wapo.st/2IgbkUS

Gerrymandering

Republicans are freaking out over a deceased gerrymandering expert's potentially damning files. North Carolina Republican lawmakers, seeking to suppress potentially damaging files from a former GOP redistricting guru, accused the expert’s daughter Monday of committing larceny when she obtained them. The accusation came in a blistering filing in state court over the information on the hard drives, which may contain explosive information about how the operative, Thomas Hofeller, gerrymandered on behalf of Republicans in North Carolina and across the country. Those files have the potential to shake up multiple contentious legal battles, including a case over whether the Trump administration can add a question about citizenship to the Census, and whether North Carolina Republican lawmakers lied to federal judges about gerrymandering based on racial data. Now, Republicans are trying to keep the files private. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/north-carolina-thomas-hofeller-files_n_5d093423e4b06ad4d257460c

2019 Elections

Cyclist fired after seen flipping off Trump's motorcade wins seat on local county board of supervisors. A woman who drew widespread attention in 2017 after she was seen flipping off President Trump's motorcade while riding on a bicycle has won a seat on the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors in northern Virginia. Democrat Juli Briskman, who announced last year that she would be challenging Suzanne Volpe (R) for the seat, won the race to represent the Algonkian District on Tuesday night, The Washington Post reports. Briskman had received more than 54 percent of the vote to Volpe's roughly 46 percent with more than 91 percent of precincts reporting, according to the Virginia Department of Elections' website. Briskman rose to prominence during Trump's first year in office after a photo of her went viral showing her flashing her middle finger at the president’s motorcade in Sterling, Va. At the time, Trump was leaving from his golf course in the area when Briskman said her "blood just started to boil” as his motorcade passed her on her bike. https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/469166-cyclist-fired-after-seen-flipping-off-trumps-motorcade-wins-seat-on

House Republicans staged a bizarre rally and barged into a secure room where impeachment testimony was being given privately. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), whose chief of staff sent an email to Republican legislators’ offices last week about entering the guarded committee room, led the group of roughly 30 lawmakers into the Intelligence Committee’s secure area. And because the Republicans, who are not members of the committee, brought phones and other electronics into the Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF), Democrats said the room would now have to be “sanitized.” “They not only brought in their unauthorized bodies, they may have brought in the Russians and the Chinese,” said Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), a member of the Intelligence Committee. Swalwell added that some Republican members held onto their phones even after the Sergeant at Arms asked that they remove them from the area. Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) later reported that he personally collected phones from Republicans and took them out of the SCIF. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/republicans-impeachment-scif_n_5db08980e4b0131fa998661f

Fox News Host Steve Hilton Blasts Liz Cheney: Your Dad ‘Literally’ Killed Millions. “Her father literally was responsible for not just the thousands of deaths that she rightly attributes to the Taliban, millions of deaths, billions of dollars wasted,” he said. Declaring that he was “very angry” with all of “these establishment types” wondering how Trump could invite the Taliban to Camp David, Hilton claimed the president is “actually trying to clean up the mess that all these establishment people with their military-industrial complex cronies” created. “And please spare us,” Hilton exclaimed, referencing Cheney. “She talks about death. Her father literally was responsible for not just the thousands of deaths that she rightly attributes to the Taliban, millions of deaths, billions of dollars wasted going into the company that he was the CEO of.” Cheney’s father, of course, is former Vice-President Dick Cheney, who is seen as the chief architect of wars in Afghanistan and Iraq following the 9/11 terror attacks. Prior to becoming vice-president, Dick Cheney was the CEO of multinational oil-field service company Halliburton, which received a $7-billion no-bid government contract in the run-up to the Iraq War. “The corruption of this military-industrial complex, the establishment that supported them led to all these problems that Donald Trump is trying to clear out,” Hilton concluded. https://www.thedailybeast.com/fox-news-host-steve-hilton-blasts-liz-cheney-your-dad-literally-killed-millions

Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar Were Headed for Palestine, Not Israel. Tlaib, who is Palestinian American, was planning to visit her grandma. Israel's Prime Minister now says he will "consider" her request. The congresswomen had no plans to visit Israel in their upcoming trip, but instead to witness the effects of the Israeli occupation firsthand in Palestinian cities like Hebron, Ramallah, Bethlehem, and East Jerusalem. They also planned to visit Al-Aqsa Mosque, among the holiest mosques in the world. But because Israel controls all international travel to the territories that it illegally occupies including the entire West Bank, the country has the power to prohibit both Omar and Tlaib from visiting Palestinian territories in addition to Israel. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who is Palestinian American, had also planned to extend her stay in the West Bank after the congressional trip in order to visit with relatives. Trump, who last month told Omar and Tlaib (along with Reps. Ayanna Pressley and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) to “go back” to the countries they came from, has effectively made that very difficult for Tlaib. https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/wjw8pm/rashida-tlaib-ilhan-omar-israel-palestine via @vice

AOC tells radicalized youth 'you're not more of a man with a gun. She also told young men that they weren't bolstering their masculinity by owning a gun. "This is not just about assault weapons," she said. "This is about gun violence in all of our communities. So, whether it's from misogyny, whether it's from racism, you're not more of a man with a gun. You're not more of a man if you are capable of violence. You are not stronger if you tear another life down," she added. https://fxn.ws/33nIGLt #FoxNews https://twitter.com/nowthisnews/status/1158865079305039872

Ocasio-Cortez Speaks Directly To White Supremacists In Surprise Appeal. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) says it’s time to stop debating if President Donald Trump is a racist. “He is,” she said on Monday at a Brooklyn vigil for the victims of mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio. But then Ocasio-Cortez made a direct appeal to racists and white supremacists ― and her message was simple: “Come back.” She also called on those “radicalized in a funnel of vitriol” to turn away from hate, promising that they would be welcomed with love in return: “There is a mother waiting for you, I know it. I know there’s a teacher waiting for you, saying, ‘What happened to my kid? What happened to my friend?’ And we will always be here and hold space for you to come back. We will love you back. You are not too far gone.” https://www.yahoo.com/news/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-white-supremacists-091015953.html

Rep. John Rose (R-Tenn.) objected to passing the bill by voice vote. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who derailed the same measure earlier this week, was by Rose's side. https://politi.co/2HMZz9A via @politico

Why Pelosi is so good at infuriating Trump. Trump handed Pelosi a huge gift, a priceless moment that helped unify the Democratic Caucus behind her at a crucial time. “She’s smarter than him, and she’s tougher than him, and I think that bothers him,” said Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.), a Pelosi ally. “It's hard to get inside that head of his and figure out what drives him, other than an oversized ego and an undersized sense of ethics.” https://politi.co/2QjgyTC via @politico

Conservative blocks House passage of disaster relief bill. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, blocked a disaster relief bill in the House on Friday by objecting to a unanimous consent vote. The Texas Republican who previously worked for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), argued the House should not have recessed before debating the legislation and holding a vote. “I'm here today primarily because if I do not object, Congress will have passed into law a bill that spends $19 billion of taxpayer money without members of Congress being present in our nation's capital to vote on it,” he said on the floor. “Secondly, it's a bill that includes nothing to address the clear national emergency and humanitarian crisis we have at our southern border.” https://thehill.com/homenews/house/445407-conservative-blocks-house-passage-of-disaster-relief-bill

Fox and Trump claim Democrats have no legislative accomplishments. The House has passed over 150 bills. http://mm4a.org/4KT

Here is the full video of Chairman Schiff laying in to Republicans, presenting all of the indisputable evidence that the Trump campaign did in fact collude with Russia. This is inspiring and patriotic. Bravo, Chairman Schiff. Well done. 🇺🇸 https://t.co/EmfnTo6jk1

GOP congressman quotes Hitler’s ‘Mein Kampf’ to slam Trump’s adversaries as liars. Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) took to the House floor on Monday to portray President Trump’s detractors as Nazis but ended up slurring them using an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory drawn verbatim from Adolf Hitler’s writings. Brooks, a five-term Republican, accused Democrats and members of the media of propagating a “big lie” about collusion. The expression was coined by Hitler to describe how Jews used their “unqualified capacity for falsehood” to blame a top German military commander for the country’s losses in World War I. A lie could be so big, Hitler claimed, that it perversely defied disbelief. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/03/26/gop-congressman-quotes-hitlers-mein-kampf-slam-trumps-adversaries-liars/

The Suffocation of Democracy. If the US has someone whom historians will look back on as the gravedigger of American democracy, it is Mitch McConnell. He stoked the hyperpolarization of American politics to make the Obama presidency as dysfunctional and paralyzed as he possibly could. As with parliamentary gridlock in Weimar, congressional gridlock in the US has diminished respect for democratic norms, allowing McConnell to trample them even more. Nowhere is this vicious circle clearer than in the obliteration of traditional precedents concerning judicial appointments. Systematic obstruction of nominations in Obama’s first term provoked Democrats to scrap the filibuster for all but Supreme Court nominations. Then McConnell’s unprecedented blocking of the Merrick Garland nomination required him in turn to scrap the filibuster for Supreme Court nominations in order to complete the “steal” of Antonin Scalia’s seat and confirm Neil Gorsuch. The extreme politicization of the judicial nomination process is once again on display in the current Kavanaugh hearings. https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2018/10/25/suffocation-of-democracy/

Senate, Moscow Mitch MkkKonnell

Mitch McConnell: The Man Who Sold America. Fittingly enough, it was hot as blazes in Kentucky when Mitch McConnell slunk back home for Congress’ annual summer recess. One week earlier, Robert Mueller had testified that Russia was meddling in the 2020 U.S. elections. McConnell, the Senate majority leader, responded by shooting down Democrats’ efforts to bring two election-security bills to a vote — bills that McConnell, in his familiar fashion, had previously sentenced to quiet deaths after they passed the House. In the hailstorm of opprobrium that followed, McConnell had been tagged by “Morning Joe” Scarborough with the indelible nickname “Moscow Mitch.” The Washington Post’s Dana Milbank called him a “Russian asset.” Twitter couldn’t decide whether he was #putinsbitch or #trumpsbitch. The Kentucky Democratic Party was selling red “Just Say Nyet to Moscow Mitch” T-shirts, emblazoned with an image of the senator’s jowly visage in a Cossack hat, as fast as they could print them up. https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/mitch-mcconnell-man-who-sold-america-880799/ via @RollingStone

McConnell rejects mayors' demand for Senate action on gun bills, after shootings. McConnell said he has asked for bipartisan discussions on the matter, including possible restrictions on assault gun sales. “We’re going to have these bipartisan discussions and when we get back (from the recess), hopefully, be able to come together and actually pass something,” McConnell said in an interview with Kentucky radio station WHAS. “I want to make a law and not just see this kind of political sparring going on.” Asked about restrictions on assault weapons, McConnell said, “That will probably be discussed as well. It’s certainly one of the front and center issues.” But he said “background checks and red flags would probably lead the discussions.” https://reut.rs/2YSPtcz

Watch protestors interrupt Senator McConnell speech with "Moscow Mitch" taunts. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell earned the moniker "Moscow Mitch" for refusing to protect elections from Russian interference. You can't blame him - Russians want to help the GOP take over the USA, so why would he stand in their way? In his annual Fancy Farm Picnic speech in Kentucky, Mitch McConnell did his best to remind folks that he's nothing like those strange lifeforms in "California and New York," and is "guy who sticks up for middle America," but most of his soporific platitudes were drowned out by middle Americans who think he's a traitor. https://boingboing.net/2019/08/07/watch-protestors-interrupt-se.html

Ex-McConnell staffers lobbied on Russian-backed Kentucky project. Democrats are pushing the Trump administration to review the project, and they say McConnell indirectly helped facilitate it.Two former top staffers to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have lobbied Congress and the Treasury Department on the development of a new Kentucky aluminum mill backed by the Russian aluminum giant Rusal, according to a new lobbying disclosure. https://politi.co/2GC9Ns4

Ocasio-Cortez pushes back on McConnell's claim of 'modern-day McCarthyism'. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) blasted Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday for comparing attacks against him to “modern-day McCarthyism.” “McCarthyism is the practice of baselessly accusing political opponents of being communists as unjust grounds for targeting & harassment,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted. “You are blocking action to protect US elections despite official DoJ pleas. That doesn’t make you a communist. It just makes you a bad leader.” https://thehill.com/homenews/house/455485-ocasio-cortez-pushes-back-on-mcconnells-claim-of-modern-day-mccarthyism

McConnell blasts 'modern-day McCarthyism,' defends blocking election bills. “I was called unpatriotic, un-American and essentially treasonous by a couple of left-wing pundits on the basis of bold-faced lies. I was accused of aiding and abetting the very man I’ve singled out as an adversary and opposed for nearly 20 years, Vladimir Putin,” McConnell said during a fiery speech from the Senate floor. He added that his critics, specifically pointing out The Washington Post and MSNBC, were using “unhinged smears,” adding “welcome to modern-day McCarthyism.” https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/455208-mcconnell-blasts-modern-day-mccarthyism-defends-blocking-election-bills#.XT-DwSkjMP4.twitter

Right-wing media figures and conspiracy theorists boosted a lie about Ilhan Omar that reached a US Senator. Multiple right-wing figures and supporters of the “QAnon” conspiracy theory on social media spread a deceptively edited video clip of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) -- who has been repeatedly targeted with false online smears -- reaching Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), who tweeted it out. Since then, multiple Fox hosts have also pushed the false claim. http://mm4a.org/4tg

Sen. Moscow Marco Rubio (R-FL)

Analysis: Rubio cries "racist" after being duped by a misleading tweet and video Rubio shares edited interview clip, calls Omar 'racist'. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) shared an edited portion of an interview with Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and accused the congresswoman's remarks of being “racist” against white people. The 40-second clip Rubio shared is part of a 10-minute interview Omar did with Al Jazeera in February 2018, when she was running for Congress. The edited clip Rubio shared was resurfaced by the Christian Broadcasting Network this week. https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/454757-rubio-shares-edited-interview-clip-calls-omar-racist

McConnell shrugs off questions about preferential treatment by Chao. “I was complaining to her just last night, 169 projects and Kentucky got only five,” he deadpanned. “I hope we’ll do a lot better next year.” The agency has provided at last $78 million in grants for the state’s projects, according to the POLITICO report, which fueled a wave of criticism from ethics officials. https://politi.co/2IvIArm

Mitch McConnell has been described as "opaque," "drab," and even "dull." He is one of the least popular - and most polarizing - politicians in the country. So how did he win eight consecutive elections? And what does it tell us about how he operates? https://n.pr/2KqYwOh

Romney 'sickened' by Trump's behavior in Mueller report. "I am sickened at the extent and pervasiveness of dishonesty and misdirection by individuals in the highest office of the land, including the President," Romney said in a statement posted to Twitter."Reading the report is a sobering revelation of how far we have strayed from the aspirations and principles of the founders," Romney said Friday. https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/439765-romney-sickened-by-trumps-behavior-in-mueller-report

States

Washington Lawmakers Call for Matt Shea to Step Down Amid Spying Claims. Washington representative Matt Shea (R) is facing renewed calls for his resignation from Republican and Democratic lawmakers amid allegations that Shea discussed spying on progressives in the state. Private investigators hired by the Democrat-dominated Legislature are looking to see whether Shea and three others discussed spying on liberals in Spokane, a progressive city in conservative eastern Washington. Shea reportedly named potential targets for surveillance, including a college professor and an organizer for the liberal group Indivisible. According to Signal encrypted chat messages published last month in The Guardian, one of Shea’s co-conspirators suggested “hoisting communists up flag poles.” A report by The Spokesman-Review, citing emails, showed that Shea compiled dossiers on liberal City Council members from Spokane, looked into buying GPS trackers, and wanted to “turn back the tide” of Islam in the United States. Shea lost a leadership position in the state House last year after admitting he distributed a manifesto that called for killing non-Christian males that don’t follow biblical law. https://www.thedailybeast.com/matt-shea-lawmakers-call-for-resignation-amid-spying-claims

Nixon, Reagan

That racist Reagan recording just confirmed what my community already knew. I grew up in one of Reagan's so-called Drug Free Zones, where bricks of cocaine featuring his face were sold. Ronald Reagan was the first president I could remember, and though I was still in elementary school when he left office, his name lingered in my neighborhood for two reasons. The first came from my dad and uncles calling him “a racist clown who doesn’t deserve to be president” and the other came from the older street guys who praised the Reagan Administration for flooding the inner cities with cocaine. There’s never been a hiring boom from inner city black Baltimore. Selling cocaine, which eventually turned into the creation of the crack era, both fed and destroyed a countless amount of black families. How could a sitting U.S. president contribute to this wholesale destruction of communities? Sounds like a conspiracy, right? https://www.salon.com/2019/08/01/that-racist-reagan-recording-just-confirmed-what-my-community-already-knew/

The Reagan-Nixon “monkeys” tape fills the gap between what the Gipper said and what he meant. The Democratic president was referencing a speech Reagan had made to a nearly all-white crowd of 15,000 at Mississippi’s Neshoba County Fair. “I believe in states’ rights,” Reagan had said on Aug. 3, 1980, explaining that he intended to “restore to the states and local communities those functions that properly belong there.” Reagan’s appearance at the fair was part of a strategy, articulated by a Republican official in a 1979 letter, to send the eventual nominee to venues that might draw “George Wallace–inclined voters,” who had begun supporting Republicans as segregationist politicians left the Democratic Party. The Neshoba County Fair, the New York Times reported in 1980, was known for playing host to candidates who delivered “bitter racist diatribes.” It was also located just a few miles away from where civil rights workers James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner were murdered in 1964. “Both before and after the killing of those three men,” I wrote in my book, The Queen, “political authorities in the state had invoked states’ rights as a kind of threat—a warning that integrationists and the federal government give the state leave to handle its own affairs.” A decade and a half later, it sounded like Reagan was whistling a similar tune. https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/08/ronald-reagan-richard-nixon-racism-monkeys-tape-jimmy-carter.html via @slate

Reagan disparaged 'monkeys from those African countries' in call with Nixon in unearthed tapes. Reagan called Nixon in October 1971 — the day after a landmark United Nations vote to recognize the People’s Republic of China — and referenced how the Tanzanian delegation was dancing in the General Assembly after the vote, according to an audio clip of the exchange posted by The Atlantic. "Last night, I tell you, to watch that thing on television as I did,” Reagan says. “Yeah,” Nixon cuts in. Reagan replies, laughing: "To see those, those monkeys from those African countries — damn them, they're still uncomfortable wearing shoes!" racist https://thehill.com/homenews/news/455482-reagan-disparaged-monkeys-from-those-african-countries-in-call-with-nixon-in

Prosecutors Use Photos, Receipts to Argue for Ex-Rep Hunter’s Longer Prison Sentence. Prosecutors said the Hunter family’s “profligate lifestyle” depleted their bank accounts and drove them deep into debt. According to the government’s sentencing memo, Hunter once had to ask his wife, Margaret, if they had enough money to buy a pair of nail clippers. “In order to support their spending and pay their bills, the Hunters turned to pilfering hundreds of thousands of dollars donated by citizens” that by law could only be used to fund his congressional campaigns. “Beginning as early as 2009, the Hunters used campaign funds to purchase items as inconsequential as fast food, movie tickets, and golf outings; as trivial as video games, beachwear and coffee; as mundane as groceries, utilities and garage doors; and as self-indulgent as luxury hotels, overseas vacations and designer face cream,” wrote Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip Halpern. https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/prosecutors-ex-rep-hunters-crimes-cover-up-warrant-14-month-prison-term/2283553/

Duncan Hunter Corruption Trial Pushed Back Till Late January. This is the second time U.S. District Judge Thomas Whelan has delayed the trial. Both delays have to do with Hunter's attempt to have the case thrown out on constitutional grounds. The congressman claims his rights under the Constitution's speech or debate clause have been violated. He's argued in a motion that he cannot be prosecuted for actions that are considered part of his job as a legislator. Whelan dismissed the motion in July, saying the claim was "wholly without merit." https://www.kpbs.org/news/2019/oct/07/rep-duncan-hunter-corruption-trial-pushed-back-til/ via @KPBSnews

Will Carl DeMaio run for Congress to unseat Rep. Duncan Hunter? “Too many Californians are thinking of fleeing our state because they cannot afford the cost of living and disagree with the extreme socialist agenda being advanced by the Democrats. I refuse to flee – I plan to fight. To take back our state, we need a new generation of California leaders who are willing to fight and have a record of getting reform done. The old guard of California Republican leaders have shown they aren’t willing or able to lead the fight to take back our state from the Democrats – or worse, like Mr. Hunter, they are tied up in court facing criminal charges. Can I best help lead the fight by winning this US Congressional seat or by remaining on the airwaves and chairing Reform California? I’m grateful to all who have reached out to me with their input and words of encouragement on this important question, and I'll explain my decision Monday.” http://www.cbs8.com/article/news/local/will-carl-demaio-run-for-congress-to-unseat-rep-duncan-hunter/509-4e738aaf-d755-4f73-879b-993c3bd4b820 via @CBS8

Duncan Hunter sends more Islamophobic campaign mailers in California. The incumbent Republican is set to stand trial for misusing campaign funds this fall.“Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib and Ammar Campa-Najjar ... these three radical Democrats want you to forget their anti-semitism or family-terrorist ties!” a note from Hunter states on the back side of the mailer. “But as a Marine I’ll never forget the 1983 Beirut bombings and the 1972 Olympic murders!” Hunter’s campaign confirmed that it is distributing the mailer, which solicits contributions from donors. “It is a piece put out by Congressman Hunter’s campaign,” said Hunter spokesman Michael Harrison. “It’s a hard-hitting piece because these are significant issues that our opponent refuses to acknowledge. This is just yet another example of a full-time candidate doing anything to get some attention because after three straight years of campaigning, Ammar has failed to gain any traction on substantive issues that affect our district.” https://politi.co/2JFKhmI

A Republican Now Says He Spent Money During Booty Calls For A Legit “Political Purpose”. California Rep. Duncan Hunter told a court Friday he was actually working when he spent campaign money on weekend getaways, date nights, golf outings, bar tabs, and Uber rides during the affairs. “Mr. Hunter’s relationships with [the women] often served an overtly political purpose that would not have existed irrespective of his occupation,” Hunter’s lawyers argued in a Friday court filing, contending his relationship with these women “includes a professional aspect.” https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/dominicholden/duncan-hunter-affairs-charges-mixing-business-pleasure via @dominicholden

GOP Rep. Duncan Hunter Used Campaign Funds to Cheat on His Wife: Feds. Prosecutors alleged the Republican congressman used campaign funds to woo three lobbyists and one aide to a member of the GOP leadership team. In Jan. 2010, Hunter flew to Lake Tahoe under the guise of attending an annual convention for a non-profit but with the alleged intention of a planned “ski vacation as one of [the pair’s] first solo getaways.” “Hunter’s flight landed at 2:10 p.m., and he rented a car from the airport Alamo, using $350 in campaign funds,” the DOJ’s motion said. “By 11:39 p.m. he had checked into their room at the Hyatt and visited the hotel’s Cutthroat’s Saloon for a Sam Adams (which he paid for with $7 in campaign funds).” By the time the two checked out three days later, Hunter had spent $1,008 “skiing, ordering room service, and enjoying the amenities of the full-service resort” using campaign funds. Three months later, Hunter allegedly took another unidentified lobbyist to Virginia Beach for “double date road trip” with another congressman. Prosecutors alleged that Hunter used hundreds in campaign funds to pay for a hotel bar tab and room. https://www.thedailybeast.com/gop-rep-duncan-hunter-used-campaign-funds-to-pursue-intimate-extramarital-affairs-feds

Prosecutors: Rep. Duncan Hunter used campaign funds to pursue affairs. this latest DoJ file reveals that Duncan Hunter had an affair with at least three different lobbyists, one of his own staff members, and an aide to a member of the GOP leadership team. https://politi.co/31VmTKj

Legal fight tougher for Marine vet Rep. Duncan Hunter as wife pleads guilty. But that argument got tougher Thursday for the former Marine and close ally of President Donald Trump after his wife, who worked as his campaign manager, pleaded guilty to a single corruption count and acknowledged being a co-conspirator with her husband in spending more than $200,000 in campaign funds on personal expenses. Margaret Hunter accepted a plea deal that calls for 59 charges to be dismissed in exchange for her testimony, full cooperation with prosecutors and other concessions. The conspiracy charge to which she pleaded includes all the allegations contained in the 60-count indictment. https://www.stripes.com/news/us/legal-fight-tougher-for-marine-vet-rep-duncan-hunter-as-wife-pleads-guilty-1.585923

California congressman defends war crimes suspect. “Eddie did one bad thing that I’m guilty of too: Taking a picture of the body and saying something stupid,” the California Republican said at a border-issues forum in Ramona, Calif., according to the Times of San Diego. https://politi.co/2wkVPFs

Congressman vows to seek Trump pardon for accused Navy SEAL. Rep. Duncan Hunter says he will ask President Donald Trump to pardon a Navy SEAL if he is found guilty of murder in the stabbing of an Iraqi war prisoner. Hunter, R-Calif., screened combat footage collected from a helmet camera to a group of lawmakers Wednesday, saying the footage exonerates Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher of one of the charges against him. "I wanted to give them an opportunity firsthand to see there is no case," Hunter told a small group of reporters after the screening. He said he believes Gallagher is innocent and a war hero and admonished the military justice system, calling it "absolutely broken" and "rigged." "I don't trust the Navy to give him a fair trial, but I think with all of the focus on this case that he stands more of a chance of getting a fair trial now," Hunter said. https://www.stripes.com/news/us/congressman-vows-to-seek-trump-pardon-for-accused-navy-seal-1.580228

Trump should stop court-martial of Navy SEAL accused of murdering ISIS prisoner, Hunter says. "South American criminal illegal aliens are provided with better access to legal representation than our nation’s elite warriors because bureaucratic lawyers in the Navy justice system see this situation as an opportunity to make their name and advance their career." The charge sheet said that Gallagher "did ... with premeditation, murder a wounded male person" under his care by "stabbing him in the neck and body with a knife" while battling ISIS in Mosul in May 2017. http://via.kswbtv.com/aNP7v via @fox5sandiego

Terrorism, persistent ISIS threat, White-Nationalist Trump terrorism

White supremacist extremists receive higher threat level rating than ISIS in New Jersey. The change comes amid increased rates of crimes linked to white supremacist groups, such as a New Jersey man who allegedly conspired with members of a neo-Nazi network to vandalize synagogues in the Midwest. "The threat from white supremacist extremists is also high due to the number of threats, plots, and attacks in 2019," the report read. "In 2020, white supremacist extremists are likely to cite accelerationism as a motivation for future violent acts, and recruitment efforts promoting extremist ideology continue throughout the State." The report gave anarchist, anti-government, black separatist, militia and sovereign citizen extremists a moderate threat level. It gave Islamic terror groups such as al Qaeda, Boko Haram, Hamas, Hezbollah and ISIS a low threat level, though the report said that ISIS's inspiration of supporters in the U.S. "makes homegrown violent extremists a consistently high threat." https://thehill.com/homenews/news/484178-new-jersey-raises-terror-threat-level-for-white-supremacist-extremists-to-high

There could have been three more mass shootings if these men weren't stopped, authorities say. In Connecticut, 22-year-old Brandon Wagshol was arrested after authorities said he had expressed interest in committing a mass shooting on Facebook, according to a statement from the FBI and the Norwalk Police Department. Tristan Scott Wix of Daytona Beach, Florida, was arrested in a Winn-Dixie parking lot on Friday after he sent his ex-girlfriend a series of disturbing texts in which he allegedly threatened to commit a mass shooting, the Volusia County Sheriff's Office said. The ex-girlfriend alerted authorities. In the messages, the 25-year-old said he wanted to open fire on a large crowd of people, the sheriff's office said in a news release. "A good 100 kills would be nice," one message allegedly read. Wix also said he already had a location in mind, according to the sheriff's office. And in Ohio, 20-year-old James Patrick Reardon was arrested for allegedly threatening to carry out a shooting at a Youngstown Jewish community center. https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/18/us/three-potential-attacks-foiled/index.html

Us Records of Even One. Four days after asking for information on the FBI’s claims of 90 domestic terrorism arrests, we are still waiting. And, frankly, it got kind of weird. The spokeswoman, saying she was speaking “on background,” and thus not to be identified, later suggested that we go on the Department of Justice’s public affairs website and “see what pops up.” So we did. When we typed in domestic terrorism arrests for the past nine months, five cases came up. But only one of the cases actually involved an American arrested for seeking to harm others in the U.S. — Cesar Sayoc, the man recently sentenced to 20 years for mailing 16 explosive devices to a variety of current and former government officials and the philanthropist George Soros. https://www.propublica.org/article/fbi-domestic-terrorism-arrest-data

Trump's DOJ hid shocking report on growing terror threat from white supremacists. The report by New Jersey’s Office of Homeland Security Preparedness was distributed throughout DHS and to federal agencies like the FBI earlier this year before it was obtained by Yahoo News. The document includes data Congress has sought from the Trump administration but the Justice Department has been “unable or unwilling” to provide. The report shows that 25 of 46 suspects in 32 domestic terrorism incidents were identified as white supremacists. The 25 suspected white supremacist suspects were responsible for all “race-based” incidents while others were deemed “anti-government extremists” and “single-issue extremists.” “This map reflects 32 domestic terrorist attacks, disrupted plots, threats of violence, and weapons stockpiling by individuals with a radical political or social agenda who lack direction or influence from foreign terrorist organizations in 2018,” the report said. https://www.salon.com/2019/08/09/trumps-doj-hid-shocking-report-on-growing-terror-threat-from-white-supremacists/

Tucker Carlson says white supremacy is a hoax. He’s wrong. As a social ill, white supremacy is difficult to quantify — despite Carlson’s suggestion that a headcount is easily obtainable. But the available data suggests a more pressing story than Carlson's take. While the FBI doesn’t code incidents as being committed by white nationalists, officials reported a 17 percent increase in hate crimes in 2017 over the previous year, and more than half were motivated by biases based on race, ethnicity or ancestry. White supremacists killed more people than any other domestic extremist group from 2000-16. An unclassified May 2017 intelligence bulletin, jointly authored by the FBI and Department of Homeland Security, found that white supremacist extremists killed more people than any other domestic extremist movement from 2000 to 2016. The Anti-Defamation League reached findings that paralleled the federal agencies’. As a share of all killings committed by right-wing extremists in the United States over the last decade, 76 percent were committed by white supremacists, the Anti-Defamation League told PolitiFact. Last year, 39 of 50 domestic extremist killings were committed by white supremacists, the ADL’s head Jonathan Greenblatt wrote on Twitter in response to Carlson’s claim. https://www.politifact.com/punditfact/article/2019/aug/07/tucker-carlson-says-white-supremacy-hoax-here-are-/ via @PunditFact

A Reformed White-Nationalist Says the Worst Is Yet to Come. That’s the warning of a former violent extremist, Christian Picciolini, who joined a neo-Nazi movement 30 years ago and now tries to get people out of them. White-supremacist terrorists—the ones who have left dozens dead in attacks in Pittsburgh, New Zealand, and El Paso, Texas, in recent months—aren’t just trying to outdo one another, he told us. They’re trying to outdo Timothy McVeigh, the anti-government terrorist who blew up an Oklahoma City federal building and killed more than 100 people in 1995—the worst terrorist attack in the United States before September 11, 2001. Christian Picciolini discusses the mainstreaming of white nationalism, what it takes to de-radicalize far-right extremists, and why the problem is metastasizing. https://t.co/3V2aNelzJA

Cruz: El Paso shooting an act of 'terrorism and white supremacy'. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on Sunday condemned the recent mass shooting in El Paso, Texas, as "a heinous act of terrorism and white supremacy." “We must speak clearly to combat evil in any form it takes. What we saw yesterday was a heinous act of terrorism and white supremacy. There is no place for this in El Paso, in Texas, or anywhere across our nation,” Cruz tweeted Sunday. “We are all Americans and we are all standing united with El Paso.” He added that as a “son of a Cuban immigrant,” he is “deeply horrified by the hateful anti-Hispanic bigotry expressed in the shooter’s so-called ‘manifesto.’” “This ignorant racism is repulsive and profoundly anti-American,” he tweeted. https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/456118-texas-gop-senators-respond-to-el-paso-shooting

FBI memo warns QAnon poses potential terror threat: report. An FBI document, first reported by Yahoo News, identifies conspiracy theories as potential domestic terrorism threats, specifically identifying QAnon, a group that believes there is a "deep state" working against President Trump, in the memo. The FBI specifically points to QAnon and Pizzagate, a conspiracy theory that claims Hillary Clinton and other top Democratic figures are running a child sex-trafficking ring beneath a pizza shop in Washington, D.C., as examples of groups whose messages could lead to “violent acts.” “The FBI assesses these conspiracy theories very likely will emerge, spread, and evolve in the modern information marketplace, occasionally driving both groups and individual extremists to carry out criminal or violent acts,” the document, dated May 30, reads. Acts of violence or attempts thereof have already been tied to both of the conspiracy theories. https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/fbi/455770-fbi-memo-warns-qanon-poses-a-potential-terror-threat-report

ISIS militants return to Iraq, continue fight. Islamic State militants who escaped the defeat of their self-described caliphate in Syria earlier this year have been slipping across the border into Iraq, bolstering a low-level insurgency the group is now waging across the central and northern part of the country, according to security officials. About 1,000 fighters have crossed into Iraq during the past eight months, most of them in the aftermath of the caliphate’s collapse in March, said Hisham al-Hashimi, a security analyst who advises Iraq’s government and foreign aid agencies. Those fighters, mostly Iraqis who followed ISIS into Syria, are now returning home to join militant cells that have been digging into rugged rural areas, sustained by intimate knowledge of the local terrain, including concealed tunnels and other hiding places. https://www.stripes.com/news/middle-east/isis-militants-return-to-iraq-continue-fight-1.591313#.XTZSeEYcqp8.twitter

California police release on bail man suspected of threatening to shoot a synagogue. California police arrested a man suspected of making online threats to shoot up a Jewish temple, saying he had a fascination with Adolf Hitler and planned to emulate mass shootings at synagogues in Pittsburgh and San Diego. Ross Farca, a 23-year-old from Concord, California, was charged with making criminal threats, possessing an illegal assault rifle and manufacturing an assault rifle, all felonies. Then, over the weekend, police said, Farca was freed on a $125,000 bond. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jun/18/california-police-release-man-suspected-of-threatening-to-shoot-a-synagogue

This hearing was wild.First the FBI witness tried to say I was wrong. I tried to be generous + give benefit of doubt, but then we checked. I wasn’t.Violence by Muslims is routinely treated as “terrorism,” White Supremacist violence isn’t.Neo-Nazis are getting off the hook. https://t.co/RCjp4687by — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1136329869783117824 June 5, 2019

Federal response to white supremacist terror threat under scrutiny in wake of Poway attack. Data compiled by the Anti-Defamation League indicates of the 50 deaths in the U.S. last year attributed to extremists, 78 percent were attached to white supremacy or white nationalist ideology. Similarly, over a 10-year period, 313 people were killed by right-wing extremists from 2009 and 2018. Of those, 76 percent were affiliated with white supremacy, the research shows. "The data is overwhelming," Erroll Southers, a former San Diego FBI agent and counterterrorism official, told the Union-Tribune. "The last 10 years suggest our policies and our focus and our resources are all pointed in the wrong direction." But Life After Hate continues to find partners in federal government, particularly DHS and FBI. Agents can refer non-criminal cases to the nonprofit for possible intervention, and the nonprofit has developed a cultural competency training on the violent alt-right for law enforcement and mental health professionals. "There are people still helping us get things done," Rangel said, "even though they can't give us money." https://www.mcall.com/federal-response-to-white-supremacist-terror-under-scrutiny-in-wake-of-poway-attack-story.html

Democrats accuse Trump administration of trying to ‘obfuscate the white supremacist threat’ with new categories for domestic terrorism. A group of Democratic senators, including three 2020 presidential candidates, on Thursday called for the FBI to rescind a recent change to the way it classifies domestic terrorist incidents, arguing that the move plays down the threat of white supremacy. In the letter, the senators said the FBI has created a new category — “racially-motivated violent extremism” — that “inappropriately” combines white-supremacist incidents with those involving “Black identity extremists.” By doing so, the FBI has “shifted its approach to tracking domestic terrorism incidents to obfuscate the white supremacist threat,” the senators said. “Given the large number of white supremacist attacks, we are deeply concerned that this reclassification downplays the significance of the white supremacist threat,” they said. “If we do not understand the scope of the problem, we cannot effectively address it.” https://wapo.st/2vACpMw

Protest, Punch a Nazi, Free Speech

This is CNN? Network apparently recently glorified ICE detention center attacker. The heavily promoted CNN show featured Bell explaining the “Redneck Revolt,” which he identified as gun-toting liberals who defend the Second Amendment and seek to battle the “alt-right” and neo-Nazis. Bell called them “good guys,” going to a gun range with members and even questioning why “more white people” don’t share their viewpoints. One of the men featured on the CNN special appears to be Van Spronsen -- who was armed with a rifle and incendiary devices when he launched his assault on the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma around 4 a.m. Saturday, according to the Tacoma Police Department. https://fxn.ws/32ue3n5 #FoxNews

Seven Questions With Patriot Prayer's Lawyer. Joey Gibson, the leader of local alt-right contingent Patriot Prayer, has asked the head of the Multnomah County Republican Party to defend him in a $1 million lawsuit. Portland pub Cider Riot sued Gibson in early May, after members of Patriot Prayer appeared at the SE Couch establishment looking to confront people associated with anti-fascist (antifa) groups on May 1. Video captured from the May Day incident shows Patriot Prayer members using insults and mace to harass Cider Riot patrons sitting outside. The visit escalated into a violent street fight, sending at least one person to the hospital. Gibson will be represented by Multnomah County Republican Party Chair James Buchal, a lawyer who specializes in civil litigation. Buchal is also representing a coalition of parents suing Portland Public Schools for allegedly using taxpayer dollars to support anti-gun protests. In the past decade, Buchal's unsuccessfully run for Oregon Attorney General and US Representative. He's opined on alt-right protests in the past. After a white nationalist—who participated in Patriot Prayer rallies—killed two men on the MAX who were trying to prevent his racist attack, Buchal said he feared for the GOP's safety. https://www.portlandmercury.com/blogtown/2019/07/05/26758038/seven-questions-with-joey-gibsons-lawyer

Tensions flared at dueling rallies in Washington on Saturday, but police kept Proud Boys and counterprotesters apart. In one effective nonviolent confrontation, members of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence marching with hundreds of counterprotesters drowned out an interview by an unidentified right-wing reporter by surrounding her and loudly clacking their hand fans. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/proud-boys-all-out-dc-protests_n_5d215ec8e4b04c4814154714

The neo-fascist proud boys organized a "free speech" rally in DC today. It flopped. Gavin McInnes, founder of the neo-fascist group the Proud Boys, was struggling to break apart toy handcuffs he had brought onstage. He planned to use them as a metaphor for breaking the chains of what he considers to be the rampant stifling of free speech. “Okay, these are a lot stretchier than I thought they would be,” he confessed to the audience at Saturday’s Washington, DC, rally organized by the Proud Boys and the alt-right. He kept spreading the elastic handcuffs, but they wouldn’t break. McInnes’s botched metaphor took place during a free-speech rally that neo-fascists and members of the alt-right had gathered for at Freedom Plaza, just blocks away from the White House. But maybe his failed handcuff display did turn out to be a metaphor, albeit an unintentional one, for the rest of the generally lackluster event. Organizers had talked a big game before the rally, but it all lost momentum even before the official events began. Big names in the far-right internet community including Pizzagaters Jack Posobiec, Mike Cernovich, and the failed grifter and energetic troll Jacob Wohl, were all scheduled to speak but dropped out. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/07/the-neo-fascist-proud-boys-organized-a-free-speech-rally-in-dc-today-it-flopped/ via @MotherJones

Antifa counter-protest aims to drown out Proud Boys rally in Washington amid heavy police presence. Activists began rallying at Freedom Plaza in downtown Washington on Saturday morning, where they were met with a heavy police presence as they protested being blocked on social media because of their political views. About two dozens members of the Proud Boys, a self-proclaimed western-chauvinist fraternal group that believes in ending welfare and closing the borders, marched into the park shortly after 10 a.m. Police had shut many roads around the plaza and adjacent Pershing Park, where counter demonstrators gathered under the banner "All Out D.C." They are holding a dance and go-go party to drown out what they decry as "the face of white nationalism and supremacy." The area around Freedom Plaza was heavily barricaded but there was free access to Pershing Park. Among those expected to participate in the counter-rally: the Antifa, black-clad anti-fascists who police blame for violence and destruction in a swath of downtown during President Donald Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20, 2017. https://www.stripes.com/news/us/antifa-counter-protest-aims-to-drown-out-proud-boys-rally-in-washington-amid-heavy-police-presence-1.589222

White nationalist Planer sentenced in violent 2016 Capitol riot that left 10 hurt. Berkeley teacher-activist Yvonne Felarca; Brown Beret member Michael Williams, who provided security for the counterprotesters; and Porfirio Paz, remain free on bail awaiting Sacramento Superior Court hearings ahead of the September date. Attorneys for Felarca, Paz and Williams, known to their supporters as the “Sacramento 3,” have maintained the three were defending themselves from attack by the hate groups. “It should never be a felony to defend yourself against fascists,” Williams’ attorney Mark Reichel said in January. https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/crime/article232270347.html

Ted Cruz Thinks the Portland Mayor Let Antifa Take Over His City. Here's What Really Happened. Antifa often damage property during protests and sometimes get into violent confrontations with police or the far-right — but to date they haven’t been linked to any killings. Rose City Antifa, Portland’s local antifascist chapter, organized a counterprotest Saturday in response to a planned rally by the Proud Boys, a far-right street-fighting gang. The Proud Boys’ rally was dubbed “The Battle of Portland Part Two”, and was planned almost exactly a year since a similar violent rally, which led to four arrests and four people transported to hospital with injuries. https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/43jm7q/ted-cruz-thinks-the-portland-mayor-let-antifa-take-over-his-city-heres-what-really-happened

Proud Boys and Allies to Rally in D.C. to Capitalize on ‘Trumpstravaganza’. ‘We are expecting a lot of Trump supporters, and especially battle-ready Trump supporters,’ All Out D.C. organizer Jesse Sparks said. The event’s website lists a number of right-wing internet provocateurs, including conservative smear-pusher Jacob Wohl, anti-Muslim activist Laura Loomer, British far-right activist Milo Yiannopoulos, and former Pizzagate promoter Jack Posobiec. The bill also names a host of lesser-known social-media figures, including YouTube prankster-turned-congressional candidate Joey Salads and “Copper Cab,” the YouTuber who became famous in 2010 for the viral “gingers have souls” video. The rally, which will be held just blocks from the White House, is ostensibly about social-media companies banning right-wing figures like Loomer and Wohl. According to Proud Boy leader and event organizer Luke Rohfling, though, the event is also aimed at left-wing antifascist activists after Quillette writer Andy Ngo was attacked last weekend in Portland. While the Proud Boy event’s organizer says the event isn’t officially a Proud Boys rally, Proud Boys Chairman Enrique Tarrio is listed on the event’s permit as a supervisor. Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes is on the speakers’ list, as is Proud Boy and former Trump adviser Roger Stone. The rally organizers’ application for the Freedom Plaza space has been approved, according to a Park Police spokesperson. Just across the street from Freedom Plaza, antifascists and other counterprotesters organized in a coalition calling itself “All Out D.C.” plan to rally against the Proud Boys. “We are expecting a lot of Trump supporters, and especially battle-ready Trump supporters,” All Out D.C. organizer Jesse Sparks said. https://www.thedailybeast.com/proud-boys-and-allies-to-rally-in-dc-to-capitalize-on-trumpstravaganza

Todd Starnes: Portland’s mayor has turned his city over to Antifa thugs. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is blaming Mayor Wheeler for giving Antifa a free pass to terrorize the citizens of Portland. “To federal law enforcement: investigate & bring legal action against a Mayor who has, for political reasons, ordered his police officers to let citizens be attacked by domestic terrorists,” Cruz tweeted. https://fxn.ws/2NAq32G #FoxNews

Right-wing publications launder an anti-journalist smear campaign. On May 15, Eoin Lenihan, a far-right social media user presented what he said were excerpts from a data set that proved prominent reporters who cover extremist movements were “closely associated” with antifascist activists. He identified himself as an online extremism researcher, despite having no association with any previously known organization that researches extremism. In reality, Lenihan was already an established right-wing troll, now blanket banned for “violating rules against managing multiple Twitter accounts for abusive purposes.” Lenihan’s Twitter thread was met with enthusiasm on the right. His claims—among them that one writer is an “eco-extremist,” that a website that posts court documents is a “doxing site,” and that antifa is “often more violent” than right-wing fascist groups—were taken at face value by outlets including Breitbart, PJ Media, RedState, and Human Events, and RT. https://www.cjr.org/analysis/quillette-antifa-journalist-smear-campaign.php via @cjr

The United States Customs Is Blocking Car Exports From New York. The DHS implemented this hold on exports in conjunction with other restrictions on New York, most notably on registration and renewal of Trusted Traveler programs like Global Entry, SENTRI, FAST, and NEXUS, many of which are used by New York residents crossing the state’s land border with Canada. In a press release, the DHS explained that both the Trust Traveler programs and the processing of vehicle exports require access to DMV records. In the case of the Trusted Traveler programs, the DHS claims that it uses the records to perform background checks to determine eligibility. In the case of exports, the data is used to verify ownership records. https://jalopnik.com/the-united-states-customs-is-blocking-car-exports-from-1841529467

Border stops for people of Iranian descent spark outrage. The reaction to the detentions at a Canadian crossing and a New York airport came after the U.S. killing of an Iranian military commander. Len Saunders, an immigration attorney in Blaine, said his contacts through CBP indicated that headquarters in Washington had ordered new vetting procedures, which appear to be directed toward people born in Iran, that require port directors to sign off on admitting anyone held for questioning. Sam Sadr, who lives in North Vancouver, said he was held for nearly nine hours at the Peace Arch border crossing on Saturday after the birthplace printed on his Canadian passport caught the attention of the U.S. customs officer. Sadr, who was born in Tehran, told POLITICO he was on his way to Seattle for the day with his family. The officer, he said, asked him to pull over and go into the border office to provide more information. https://politi.co/35sEcTw via @politico

Texas officer charged with murder, resigns after shooting. Aaron Dean, 34, was booked into jail on a murder charge Monday afternoon. The police chief said earlier in the day that he acted without justification and would have been fired if he didn't quit. Police bodycam video showed Dean approaching the door of the home where Atatiana Jefferson, 28, was caring for her 8-year-old nephew early Saturday. He then walked around the side of the house, pushed through a gate into the fenced-off backyard and fired through the glass a split-second after shouting at Jefferson to show her hands. https://www.stripes.com/news/us/texas-officer-charged-with-murder-resigns-after-shooting-1.603103

Reporter says he was harassed by customs officer who insisted he writes 'propaganda' Defense One news editor Ben Watson said in an article published Friday that the confrontation happened the previous day at Dulles International Airport in Virginia, saying a CBP officer held onto his passport while repeatedly asking him about his profession. When Watson responded that he was a journalist, he said the the unnamed officer responded, "So you write propaganda, right?" The reporter says he responded "no," before the officer repeated his question. Watson said he again responded in the negative, adding: "No. I am in journalism. Covering national security. And homeland security. And with many of the same skills I used in the U.S. Army as a public affairs officer. Some would argue that’s propaganda.” The officer allegedly responded again, "So you write propaganda, right?" Watson then relented, replying "yes" to expedite the conversation. The officer then reportedly handed him his passport. https://thehill.com/homenews/media/464430-reporter-says-he-was-harassed-by-customs-officer-who-insisted-he-writes

‘Imported labor’: Canadian journalist for CBC refused entry to US. Carolyn Dunn, a national correspondent for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, said she had been told that her travel to Washington, D.C., was “entry into the labor" market and that she’d be “imported labor.” “I’ve never been pulled aside at a US border let alone refused entry,” she tweeted. https://washex.am/2Ztkkg2

Journalist stopped by US border agent 'for being part of fake news media'. James Dyer, online editor-in-chief at Empire Magazine, said he was questioned by the Customs and Border Protection agent after he displayed his journalist visa at Los Angeles International Airport border control. “He wanted to know if I’d ever worked for CNN or MSNBC or other outlets that are ‘spreading lies to the American people’,” Mr Dyer tweeted of the incident on Thursday. “He aggressively told me that journalists are liars and are attacking their democracy.” CNN and MSNBC are cable news channels which receive particular scorn from the president. “Apparently the only truth now comes from YouTube and the president. All this said under a CBP sign that says ‘we are the face of our nation’. And with a framed picture of 45 staring down. In f***ing California!!! Welcome to Trump’s America!” Mr Dyer added. https://news.yahoo.com/journalist-stopped-us-border-agent-121920390.html writer detained by CBP

Correctional officer accused of driving truck into group of ICE protesters. Never Again Action, a Jewish advocacy organization that has organized against the Trump administration’s immigration policies and its treatment of migrants on the Southern border, shared a video of a Wednesday night protest outside the Wyatt Detention facility in Central Falls, Rhode Island. A black pickup truck swerves into the group of protesters, who were blocking the entrance into the facility, and appears to stop before stepping on the gas and hitting several protesters. Two protesters were treated at a hospital nearby with non-life threatening injuries, Never Again Action told The Hill. https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/457511-correctional-officer-accused-of-driving-truck-into-group-of-ice

ICE official on children left behind after Mississippi raids: We're 'not a social services agency'. An ICE official told NBC News on Friday that the agency is "a law enforcement agency, not a social services agency" after news reports revealed that many children of suspects detained this week were left homeless in the immediate aftermath of the raid, though local media reports indicate that all are now staying with family members. Still, the official added, the agency took precautions to prevent instances of children being left without legal guardians as much as possible. The remarks follow comments made by ICE acting Director Matthew Albence to The Washington Post, who said that the raid was conducted in a "textbook" manner. "This was a textbook operation, carried out in a safe manner, and done securely,” Albence said. “Officers were able to execute these warrants in a safe fashion.” https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/456864-ice-official-on-children-left-behind-after-mississippi-raids-were-not

Internal Watchdog Investigates Trump Administration’s Secret Database of Journalists, Activists, Lawyers. Homeland Security’s acting Inspector General Jennifer Costello confirmed in a letter that “criminal investigators, program analysts, and attorneys” are investigating the secret database, which was part of the Department of Defense’s so-called “Operation Security Line.” “We plan to review the leaked…document in order to determine why it was created, what it is used for, and what happened to the people named in it,” Costello wrote in the letter. “We also anticipate reviewing other specific allegations of targeting and/or harassment of lawyers, journalists, and advocates and evaluate whether [Customs and Border Protection’s] actions complied with law and policy.” https://shar.es/aXfdcv

The Judiciary Committee held a family separation hearing, and it was infinitely more impactful than the Mueller hearing, even if you haven’t heard about it. The 3-year-old in question was Sofi, a little girl who was separated from her grandmother after they arrived at a port of entry in El Paso, Texas, last June seeking asylum. She was separated from her family for 47 days, until the Trump administration was forced to reunite them by court order. Chief of Law Enforcement Operations for Customs and Border Protection Brian S. Hastings still isn’t sure if she posed a threat, he told Rep. Ted Lieu during the Judiciary Committee hearing on Thursday. https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/07/cbp-chief-brian-hastings-family-separation-judiciary-hearing-not-mueller.html via @slate

An American Teen Held In Border Detention For 3 Weeks Lost 20 Pounds In "Inhumane" Conditions. An 18-year-old US citizen who was held in immigration detention for almost a month slept on the floor of a cell crowded with 60 men and lost 20 pounds from a lack of nutritious food — all while being denied access to a phone to call his family or a lawyer. Attorney Claudia Galan said the conditions that Francisco Galicia faced in Customs and Border Protection detention were so bad that he considered signing the paperwork that would deport him to Mexico just to get relief. The high school student was born in Dallas in December 2000, according to his birth certificate. "The officers were just telling him they didn't believe he was a US citizen, he was Mexican and should go back to Mexico," Galan told BuzzFeed News. "He said that it was inhumane, the worst experience ever. He doesn't wish that to anybody." On June 27, Galicia, his brother, and other friends were driving to a soccer recruiting event at Ranger College from their home in the border town of Edinburg when were stopped at a Border Patrol checkpoint. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/claudiakoerner/texas-teen-border-detention-conditions-inhumane via @claudiakoerner

@AOC</a> Do you think child separation contributed to a dehumanizing culture within CBP?
Acting DHS Sec: We don't have a dehumanizing culture at CBP.
AOC: So you don’t think having 10K officers in a violent racist group sharing rape memes of MOCs points to a dehumanized culture?
— Public Citizen (@Public_Citizen) https://twitter.com/Public_Citizen/status/1151929926108557313 July 18, 2019

A Border Patrol Agent Reveals What It’s Really Like to Guard Migrant Children. With the agency under fire for holding children in deplorable conditions and over racist and misogynistic Facebook posts, one agent speaks about what it’s like to do his job. “Somewhere down the line people just accepted what’s going on as normal.” he turned away to return to his duties, the agent recalled feeling sorry for the lawyer. “I wanted to tell her the rest of us have given up.” https://www.propublica.org/article/a-border-patrol-agent-reveals-what-its-really-like-to-guard-migrant-children

Teens are filling Tiktok with memes deploring #Life360, a parenting app that tracks teens. Meanwhile, Life360 makes a lot of its money by selling your kids' private data to advertisers. And, ironically, Tiktok is also a surveillance-heavy app with ties to the Chinese state and military. https://boingboing.net/2019/07/12/power-relationships.html

Border Patrol chief Carla Provost was a member of secret Facebook group. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, sent a letter to the DHS Inspector General’s office last week specifically requesting that investigators examine whether Provost and acting DHS secretary Kevin McAleenan knew about or had previously addressed the problem of government personnel posting “violent, racist, misogynistic comments and pictures” in the “I’m 10-15” group. “This is why I have requested a full investigation into this matter,” Thompson said in a statement to The Intercept, after being informed of Provost’s participation in the group. “We need to know who in CBP leadership knew about these deplorable groups, when did they find out, and what action they took, if anything.” https://interc.pt/2G8AxAs by @rdevro

At least one other social media group with an apparent nexus to Customs and Border Protection has been discovered to contain vulgar and sexually explicit posts, according to screenshots shared with two sources familiar with the Facebook pages. The secret Facebook group, "The Real CBP Nation," which has around 1,000 members, is host to an image that mocks separating migrant families, multiple demeaning memes of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat, and other derisive images of Asians and African Americans. https://t.co/vcnZQT7blP

Border agency knew about secret Facebook group for years. Border Patrol leadership knew about photos posted to the group as far back as 2016, when agents reported them, according to a DHS official. https://politi.co/2NsPOCb

Inside a Texas Building Where the Government Is Holding Immigrant Children. Hundreds of immigrant children who have been separated from their parents or family members are being held in dirty, neglectful, and dangerous conditions at Border Patrol facilities in Texas. This week, a team of lawyers interviewed more than fifty children at one of those facilities, in Clint, Texas, in order to monitor government compliance with the Flores settlement, which mandates that children must be held in safe and sanitary conditions and moved out of Border Patrol custody without unnecessary delays. The conditions the lawyers found were shocking: flu and lice outbreaks were going untreated, and children were filthy, sleeping on cold floors, and taking care of each other because of the lack of attention from guards. Some of them had been in the facility for weeks. https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/inside-a-texas-building-where-the-government-is-holding-immigrant-children

I’m a journalist but I didn’t fully realize the terrible power of U.S. border officials until they violated my rights and privacy. writer detained by CBP while returning to US from Mexico. https://interc.pt/2WXXoUG by Seth Harp

ICE set to begin immigration raids in 10 cities on Sunday. Last year, the Executive Office for Immigration Review, which oversees the nation's immigration courts, announced that it had begun tracking family cases filed by the Department of Homeland Security in 10 immigration court locations: Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York and San Francisco. @CNNPolitics https://cnn.it/31Py4Uw

Number Of Families Trying To Cross U.S. Border Alarms ICE Agent Jack Staton, ICE special agent in charge of investigations for the El Paso sector, about a spike in apprehensions as families seeking asylum strain capacity to process cases. https://n.pr/2CJVwrB

Intelligence report appeared to endorse view leftwing protesters were 'terrorists'. Michael German, a former FBI agent who infiltrated far right groups in the 1990s, and a fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice, said the report’s framing was wrong. “Somehow they have this set up almost like antifa is the antagonist, and anti-antifa has developed to resist it,” he said “What it seems to do is completely whitewash the history of white supremacist violence in this country.” German said that framing it this way belies the way in which “far-right groups use these public spectacles as the method to incite violence. And they come knowing that it will attract protest groups from the community.” Such groups “intentionally go to places to provoke protesters to come out, and they go armed for a real street fight”, German said. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/01/intelligence-law-enforcement-report-leftwing-terrorists-charlottesville

NRA Mass shootings, School Shootings, Gun Violence, Gun Control

Thousands of Gun Rights Activists Are Taking a Victory Lap for Peaceful Rally in Virginia. An estimated 22,000 pro-gun activists rallied near the Virginia Capitol building Monday, but despite the city being on edge in fear of violence, the protest against gun control went off without a hitch. Many attendees were in tactical gear, heavily armed with rifles and ammo slung over their shoulders, wearing stickers saying “Guns Save Lives.” Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, had declared a state of emergency on Wednesday after law enforcement intercepted threats of violence he said echoed rhetoric leading up to the violent white supremacist rally in Charlottesville two years ago.
But Monday’s event, which took place on a bitterly cold morning, was ultimately peaceful. The only person arrested was a 21-year-old woman who wore a bandanna covering her face, in violation of Virginia law (plenty of other attendees were wearing bandannas and were not arrested). Riot police were not called in, and there were no scuffles. https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/m7qvmy/thousands-of-gun-rights-activists-are-taking-a-victory-lap-for-peaceful-rally

Washington man accused of killing wife purportedly confessed to murder in tweets to NRA, Trump. A Twitter account purportedly owned by Kevin Heimsoth - a Bellingham man who is the main suspect in the shooting death of his wife Lynn Heimsoth - sent a series of four reply tweets shorting after 3 a.m. PT on Dec. 26 stating that the user shot and killed his “whole family.” In a reply to the NRA’s Merry Christmas tweet, the account wrote: “Guns don’t kill people, people do.” “Guns just make it a lot easier. AR-15 makes it super easy,” the post continued. “I jist (sic) killed my whole family, and i couldnt have done it without a gun! I’m too much of a coward, a knife would have been waaay too hard. So, thanks to everyone at the NRA.” https://fxn.ws/2ZvbsYV #FoxNews

Kellyanne Conway Blasts Background Check Supporters to Deflect From Trump’s About Face. “We’re not going to allow” people who commit mass shootings “to be the excuse for a bunch of liberals and socialists to confiscate firearms,” the White House counselor said. Conway continued, “I’m not going to allow people who are constantly maligning and deriding our law enforcement to be in charge of public safety and public policy.” Conway also said, “We want this to be bipartisan” and then proceeded to do the complete opposite with her attack. https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/kellyanne-conway-blasts-supporters-of-background-checks-884818/ via @RollingStone

Odessa mass shooting debunks argument against universal background checks. Ator, 36, never should have been able to buy a gun. He managed to obtain his AR-style rifle thanks to a loophole in the federal background-check system, anonymous law enforcement officials told The Associated Press and ABC News. A court had ruled him mentally unfit to purchase or own a firearm, so he was barred from buying a gun from a licensed dealer in 2014 after failing a federal background check. Ator simply purchased his rifle in a private sale not covered under federal law — a loophole that would be closed if Congress passed universal background checks favored by nine out of 10 Americans. Private sales, including those on the internet and at gun shows, are not covered under federal criminal background check requirements. https://www.yahoo.com/news/odessa-mass-shooting-debunks-argument-215400514.html

Gun Used in Texas Shooting Was Illegally Manufactured and Sold: Authorities believe the gun used in the drive-by shooting in Midland and Odessa, Texas this past weekend was illegally manufactured and sold by a Lubbock, Texas man, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is currently investigating a man who they believe illegally manufactured and sold the AR-15-style rifle that Seth Ator used to kill seven people and injure 22 more on Saturday, before he was shot and killed by police. https://news.yahoo.com/gun-used-texas-shooting-illegally-211956266.html

Michigan high school being built with places to hide in case of shooting. The school will be equipped with impact-resistant film on all classroom windows and is designed with curve hallways to have reduced sight lines for a potential shooter, Szymoniak said, adding that there are also barricades in the hallway for students to hide behind. "To cut down on sight lines further, it also gives an opportunity for students to hide back behind and hopefully get help from within the classroom," he said. "This building will be the safest, most secure building in the state of Michigan when it opens," he said. "Our ask is that our community be very understanding, keep the eyes on the prize because when our high school is done, it's going [to] be magnificent." https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/458501-michigan-high-school-being-built-with-places-to-hide-in-case-of-shooting

The Post has a database tracking every mass shooting since 1966. It includes a breakdown of the type of gun used in each shooting. wapo.st/2yQoP9v

McConnell taps GOP senators to mull bipartisan legislation after shootings. McConnell, in a statement, said he discussed Trump's speech on Monday with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), and Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-Miss.). "I asked them to reflect on the subjects the president raised within their jurisdictions and encouraged them to engage in bipartisan discussions of potential solutions to help protect our communities without infringing on Americans’ constitutional rights," McConnell said. McConnell took a veiled shot at the Democratic rhetoric on Monday without directly responding to calls to reconvene the Senate. "Only serious, bipartisan, bicameral efforts will enable us to continue this important work and produce further legislation that can pass the Senate, pass the House, and earn the president’s signature," he said. "Partisan theatrics and campaign-trail rhetoric will only take us farther away from the progress all Americans deserve," he added. https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/456272-mcconnell-taps-gop-senators-to-mull-bipartisan-legislation-after-shootings

The Fallout from Parkland Isn't Over Yet for Florida Law Enforcement. The Broward County Sheriff’s Office got its accreditation yanked last week over mishaps surrounding the 2018 Parkland school shooting, according to the Sun Sentinel. Florida’s state panel chose not to renew accreditation for Broward, one of the largest law enforcement groups in the state, over it mishandling of the February 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and another shooting that killed five people at the Fort Lauderdale airport in 2017. The sheriff’s department has yet to make a statement, but the accreditation process is totally voluntary — it’s just something police departments do to show they’re following the best practices and guidelines. https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/8xz3d3/the-fallout-from-parkland-isnt-over-yet-for-florida-law-enforcement

Dallas courthouse shooter’s disturbing Facebook posts paint troubling picture as search for motive continues. 22-year-old Dallas shooter Brian Isaack Clyde. Prior to his time in school there, he served as an infantryman in the U.S. Army from August 2015 to February 2017. But individuals who say they served with him in the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell in Kentucky told WFAA that Clyde was discharged because he couldn’t pass physical training tests. https://fxn.ws/2WOY8M6 #FoxNews

Leaked Documents Reveal ‘Mindboggling’ Spending at the National Rifle Association. National Rifle Association executive vice president and CEO Wayne LaPierre is under fire for excessive "wardrobe" expenses after allegedly running up charges of $270,000 at a Beverly Hills boutique. Posted anonymously online, the documents have surfaced amid an increasingly public feud among NRA leadership, the gun group’s PR firm, Ackerman McQueen, and the NRA’s outside legal firm, run by William Brewer, III. https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/mindboggling-spending-at-the-national-rifle-association-836980/ via @RollingStone

'I was gonna go down fighting,' says sixth-grader who grabbed a bat during school shooting. 6th grader Nate Holley survived the shooting at his school in CO. STEM School Highlands Ranch @CNN https://cnn.it/2VWtUtU

Secrecy, Self-Dealing, and Greed at the N.R.A. According to interviews and to documents that I obtained—federal tax forms, charity records, contracts, corporate filings, and internal communications—a small group of N.R.A. executives, contractors, and venders has extracted hundreds of millions of dollars from the nonprofit’s budget, through gratuitous payments, sweetheart deals, and opaque financial arrangements. Memos created by a senior N.R.A. employee describe a workplace distinguished by secrecy, self-dealing, and greed, whose leaders have encouraged disastrous business ventures and questionable partnerships, and have marginalized those who object. Wayne LaPierre, the N.R.A.’s top executive NRATV, popular host Grant Stinchfield Dana Loesch, a former Breitbart News editor A lawyer and activist called Colion Noir, whose real name is Collins Idehen, Jr.Chris Cox, the organization’s top lobbyist. they are paid by Ackerman McQueen, a public-relations firm based in Oklahoma. Oliver North, the former Iran-Contra operative, who now serves as the N.R.A.’s president, is paid roughly a million dollars a year through Ackerman, https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/secrecy-self-dealing-and-greed-at-the-nra

How to sell a massacre: NRA's playbook revealed. The best method to handle media inquiries in the wake of a massacre was to “say nothing,” according to Catherine Mortensen, an NRA media liaison officer, on the video. But if the media inquiries about gun control persist, another NRA comms official, Lars Dalseide, said to “shame them to the whole idea,” adding: “If your policy, isn’t good enough to stand on itself, how dare you use their deaths to push that forward? How dare you stand on the graves of those children to put forward your political agenda?” @AJENews https://aje.io/eynp3

Climate change, Environment

The next mega disasters that could happen at any moment (and kill us all). Volcanos, earthquake, ocean rise, asteroid, contagion. https://fxn.ws/36bv7yw #FoxNews

Ex-truck driver gets prison for poisoning S. Carolina creek. Greene faced up to three years in prison for repeatedly dumping chemicals in 2017 in the Wateree River drainage basin, which flows past Congaree National Park. He would back up a tanker truck and dump polluted water containing chemicals such as mercury and lead. Greene said he was just “trying to save time.” - ABC News - https://abcn.ws/2OjP9BP via @ABC

What do evangelical Christians really think about climate change? Some evangelicals argue that global warming is of little concern when the end times are approaching. Indeed, it could even be proof of it. Bible verses are also pointed to as evidence humans are required to subdue Earth, that God is in control, and global warming is part of His plan. Others see it as liberal hoax and a means to push folks away from religion towards the government. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/09/what-do-evangelical-christians-really-think-about-climate-change/ via @MotherJones

Greta Thunberg just pulled an iconic move in front of Congress. Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old Swedish environmental activist who has inspired weekly school strikes for climate action around the world, dedicated her Wednesday morning Congressional testimony to the scientists who have outlined the irrefutable facts of climate change. Instead of delivering prepared remarks at the joint hearing between the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Energy, and the Environment and the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, Thunberg submitted to lawmakers a copy of the 2018 report by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on the effects of global warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius. “I am submitting this report as my testimony, because I don’t want you to listen to me,” Thunberg said. “I want you to listen to the scientists, and I want you to unite behind the science, and then I want you to take real action.” https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2019/09/greta-thunberg-just-pulled-an-iconic-move-in-front-of-congress/ via @MotherJones

LA is going to get cheap nighttime power from a massive solar and battery array in the Mojave. LA's next source of energy: a massive solar panel and lithium battery array in the Mojave, operated by 8minute Solar Energy, and capable of supplying 6-7% of the city's energy budget, with four hours of nighttime use. It will cost an eye-poppingly low $0.03.3/kWh, cheaper than natural gas. The otherwise unambiguously good news has one sore-spot: it was opposed by LA Water and Power workers' unions, who are upset that the natural gas plants where their members work are being decommissioned by the city. It's a perfect example of why the Green New Deal is so right to put the emphasis on working with energy sector workers to ensure that they have good jobs through the green transition. Union workers don't want their kids to inherit a world blasted by climate change, but they also don't want their kids to grow up in poverty thanks to mass layoffs from changes in how we generate power. https://boingboing.net/2019/09/14/green-keynes.html

The Misogyny of Climate Deniers. Why do right-wing men hate Greta Thunberg and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez so much? Researchers have some troubling answers to that question. The connection has to do with a sense of group identity under threat, Hultman told me—an identity they perceive to be under threat from all sides. Besieged, as they see it, both by developing gender equality—Hultman pointed specifically to the shock some men felt at the #MeToo movement—and now climate activism’s challenge to their way of life, male reactionaries motivated by right-wing nationalism, anti-feminism, and climate denialism increasingly overlap, the three reactions feeding off of one another. “There is a package of values and behaviors connected to a form of masculinity that I call ‘industrial breadwinner masculinity.’ They see the world as separated between humans and nature. They believe humans are obliged to use nature and its resources to make products out of them. And they have a risk perception that nature will tolerate all types of waste. It’s a risk perception that doesn’t think of nature as vulnerable and as something that is possible to be destroyed. For them, economic growth is more important than the environment” Hultman told Deutsche Welle last year. https://newrepublic.com/article/154879/misogyny-climate-deniers

Trump absent from G-7 session on climate. The president was not in the room when reporters were allowed to observe part of the session, and his seat was empty. The heads of government of the other six nations that comprise the G-7 were there. "The President had scheduled meetings and bilaterals with Germany and India, so a senior member of the Administration attended in his stead," press secretary Stephanie Grisham later told reporters. Trump met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel a short time after the climate session and was asked if he had attended. "I'm going to. In fact, it's going to be our next session. I want clear air and clean water," Trump said. It was unclear if he heard a reporter who noted the session had just happened. https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/458785-trump-absent-from-g-7-session-on-climate

Automakers snub Trump to side with climate crisis, says Obama-era official. Companies are considering years of regulatory uncertainty when aligning with California’s mileage standards deal. Producing cars that use more gasoline could make it harder for American companies to compete in the US and abroad. And the recent deal with California is more favorable than the Obama rules. Under an agreement last month, four companies pledged to reach an average fuel economy for new cars and trucks of 54.5 miles per gallon by 2026. The state made some concessions to automakers, giving them an extra year to meet the standards and allowing more flexibility to get credit for electric vehicles. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/aug/22/automakers-snub-trump-to-side-with-climate-crisis-says-obama-era-official

'Coal is over': the miners rooting for the Green New Deal, Appalachia’s main industry is dying and some workers are looking to a new economic promise after Trump’s proves empty. The coal industry in Appalachia is dying – something that people there know better than anyone. Some in this region are pinning their hopes on alternative solutions, including rising Democratic star Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Green New Deal. “Coal is over. Forget coal,” said Jimmy Simpkins, who worked as a coalminer in the area for 29 years. “It can never be back to what it was in our heyday. It can’t happen. That coal is not there to mine.” https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/aug/12/west-virginia-appalachia-miners-green-new-deal?CMP=share_btn_tw

Navy quietly shut down climate change task force. Since it started, the TFCC released several reports on the strategic challenge climate change poses, taking a close look at what the melting Arctic means for strategic planning, and the dangers sea-level rise and extreme weather pose to many naval installations. Alice Hill, a research fellow at the Hoover Institution and former senior director for resilience on the National Security Council under President Obama, said she created a Department of Homeland Security task force modeled on the one created by the Navy. "They did great work; they were the first task force within the Department of Defense," Hill said. "We viewed them as a model of how the government should initially focus on the problem of climate change." In an email, the Navy spokesperson said the TFCC was ended because its processes are "now duplicative as functions have been transitioned to existing business processes; therefore, the original components of the task force are no longer needed." https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060877355

'It feels like something out of a bad sci-fi movie'. A top climate scientist quit USDA, following others who say Trump has politicized science. One of the nation’s leading climate change scientists is quitting the Agriculture Department in protest over the Trump administration’s efforts to bury his groundbreaking study about how rice is losing nutrients because of rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Lewis Ziska, a 62-year-old plant physiologist who’s worked at USDA’s Agricultural Research Service for more than two decades, told POLITICO he was alarmed when department officials not only questioned the findings of the study — which raised serious concerns for the 600 million people who depend on rice for most of their calories — but also tried to minimize media coverage of the paper, which was published in the journal Science Advances last year. https://politi.co/2yCQdYD

Trump touts environmental policies, but says nothing of climate change. “The Trump speech was a classic in Soviet-style up-is-down disinformation because the president's words are belied by the relentlessness with which his administration has gone about the task of rolling back scores of the rules that have been the engine driving the environmental progress America enjoyed before Trump took office,” said Joe Goffman, a former top official at EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation under Obama. “It is as if the Trump policy is to promote, rather than prevent, air and water pollution, toxic chemical exposure and the despoiling of America's natural resources.” Betsy Southerland, a former director in EPA’s Office of Water under Obama, argued Trump has done nothing to maintain any environmental protections that may have occurred under previous administrations. She also cast his environmental policies as changing at the whim of his political backers. A number of Trump’s biggest campaign donors were heads of fossil fuel industries. “His environmental policy is not based on ideology or based on the economic impacts of rules, it’s really just based on whatever his political donors ask him to do,” said Southerland. https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/452077-trump-touts-environmental-policies-but-says-nothing-of-climate

USDA Scientists Are Quitting in Droves. That’s Really Bad News for Climate Research. “This is the ears and eyes of [presidential] administrations — on domestic policy, environmental policy, risk assessment, and technology adoption,” said David Zilberman, Chair of the University of California-Berkeley’s Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. But USDA employees fear all the agency’s work could be erased completely if the Trump administration follows through with plans to uproot the division — and all its scientists — and move them to Kansas City. The researchers’ union anticipates, after an unofficial count, that as many as 80 percent of the employees are planning to quit rather than move, and that will disrupt entire fields of study, ranging from honeybee pollination patterns to how crop prices fluctuate with changes in consumer demand. Their positions will take years to fill, if USDA staff recruits new hires at all. https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/evy9ew/usda-scientists-are-quitting-in-droves-thats-really-bad-news-for-climate-research

The EPA's Lies About Air Pollution Are Killing Americans. In its latest move to protect industry, the government has ensured that we'll see more deaths from asthma, heart problems and cognitive degeneration. the Environmental Protection Agency under President Donald Trump has decided to pose an arbitrary threshold by which to define unhealthy air in order to protect fossil fuel companies and their unchecked emissions. Given that science has confirmed that no level of polluted air can be healthy, this will not only threaten us now, but for generations to come. https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/kzm39e/the-epas-lies-about-air-pollution-are-killing-americans

A major coal company went bust. Its bankruptcy filing shows that it was funding climate change denialism. https://interc.pt/2Ehm6ZY by @lhfang

Watch: Why is an MIT alum in Congress pretending he doesn’t know climate change is real? “Are you serious?” former Secretary of State John Kerry asked Rep. Thomas Massie during a congressional hearing on Wednesday in which the Kentucky Republican seemingly tried to catch Kerry in a sort of “gotcha” moment about scientific credentials and climate change. Whether or not Massie, who holds two engineering degrees from MIT, was serious is actually a good question. https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/4/12/18307727/thomas-massie-john-kerry-video-political-science

Coronavirus crisis, HealthCare

Trump Broke the Agencies That Were Supposed To Stop the Covid-19 Epidemic. The government agencies designed to protect us are riddled with vacancies and temporary officials. No wonder we’re facing a catastrophe. Adams’ metaphor of this as our new “9/11 moment” is more apt than he likely intended: Comparing the events is about more than just a story of casualties—it is also a story about government’s failure. Both Pearl Harbor and the 9/11 attacks occurred, in part, because the U.S. government and intelligence failed to see the attacks looming. We were caught unprepared, and Americans paid for that mistake with their lives. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/04/07/trump-dismantled-the-very-jobs-meant-to-stop-the-covid-19-epidemic-173347 via @politico

Trump’s Aggressive Advocacy of Malaria Drug for Treating Coronavirus Divides Medical Community. Mr. Trump himself has a small personal financial interest in Sanofi, the French drugmaker that makes Plaquenil, the brand-name version of hydroxychloroquine. https://nyti.ms/3aQOpwi

More than 700 Henry Ford Health System employees tested positive for coronavirus. Beaumont Health said Monday that about 1,500 of its workers — including 500 nurses — are off the job because of coronavirus symptoms. The employees at Beaumont Health “have symptoms consistent with COVID-19,” said spokesman Mark Geary, though he did not disclose how many of those 1,500 sick workers actually tested positive for the disease. Beaumont and Henry Ford are among several metro Detroit hospitals to experience a surge in COVID-19 patients as the virus continues to spread in Michigan, pushing them to the brink of capacity. https://www.freep.com/story/news/health/2020/04/06/more-than-600-henry-ford-employees-tested-positive-coronavirus/2958261001/ via @freep

Some 430,000 people flew from China to US after coronavirus first detected: report. About 430,000 people have flown on direct flights from China to the United States since Chinese officials first disclosed the outbreak of what is now the novel coronavirus to world health officials on New Year’s Eve, according to a new report published Saturday. Most of the travelers flew into airports in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Seattle, Newark and Detroit in January. Thousands came directly from the city of Wuhan in the Chinese Hubei province, where the coronavirus originated, the New York Times reported. The report did not account for travelers who did not fly directly from China and may have come into the U.S. on a connecting flight from the country. https://fxn.ws/39JbVKo #FoxNews

The U.S.' top infectious disease specialist warned in early 2017 that the Trump administration at some point would face a “surprise outbreak.” “There is no question that there will be a challenge to the coming administration in the arena of infectious diseases,” he said in a speech titled “Pandemic Preparedness in the Next Administration” at Georgetown University Medical Center. He delivered it just days before Trump was inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2017. Fauci, who has overseen the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) since 1984, warned that looming health challenges would involve both chronic diseases ― ones already ongoing ― as well as “a surprise outbreak.” https://www.huffpost.com/entry/fauci-warned-of-trump-pandemic-2017_n_5e8a0548c5b6e7d76c65c8a4

George W. Bush in 2005: 'If we wait for a pandemic to appear, it will be too late to prepare'. In a November 2005 speech at the National Institutes of Health, Bush laid out proposals in granular detail -- describing with stunning prescience how a pandemic in the United States would unfold. Among those in the audience was Dr. Anthony Fauci, the leader of the current crisis response, who was then and still is now the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. https://www.yahoo.com/gma/george-w-bush-2005-wait-pandemic-appear-too-080830555--abc-news-topstories.html

Coronavirus crisis, HealthCare, archived April 05, 2020

Trump and the authoritarianism virus: What the coronavirus has revealed, again, about our president. Meanwhile, the trust-based system of the free world is failing under pressure. After three years of President Trump’s constant lies and extreme political polarization in the United States, the only people who believe anything Trump says do so mainly to spite their political enemies. This is a catastrophic scenario when coherent action is required for the greater good. A united appeal to science and citizenship could have saved lives, but such unity is unimaginable in Washington today. The poison of hyper-partisanship kills as surely as any virus. Incompetence is deadly enough on its own, but malice and corruption are never far behind in this administration. Trump has been waging war on American institutions and looking for ways to enrich himself and his cronies from the start, and this crisis will only open up more opportunities. https://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/ny-oped-trump-and-the-authoritarianism-virus-20200404-oy4ot3iwivepfctgsukzszbowi-story.html

U.S. ‘wasted’ months before preparing for virus pandemic. As the first alarms sounded in early January that an outbreak of a novel coronavirus in China might ignite a global pandemic, the Trump administration squandered nearly two months that could have been used to bolster the federal stockpile of critically needed medical supplies and equipment. A review of federal purchasing contracts by The Associated Press shows federal agencies waited until mid-March to begin placing bulk orders of N95 respirator masks, mechanical ventilators and other equipment needed by front-line health care workers. By that time, hospitals in several states were treating thousands of infected patients without adequate equipment and were pleading for shipments from the Strategic National Stockpile. That federal cache of supplies was created more than 20 years ago to help bridge gaps in the medical and pharmaceutical supply chains during a national emergency. https://apnews.com/090600c299a8cf07f5b44d92534856bc

Column: The suspect science behind Trump's chloroquine claims. There are scientific grounds for examining chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine as possible treatments for COVID-19; dozens of clinical trials have been announced. Infectious disease experts consider the drugs to be promising, but there’s a lot more they’d like to know before certifying them for clinical use. One trial underway at the University of Minnesota aims to recruit 3,000 subjects from among healthcare workers and their household members who have been exposed to infected persons or are showing symptoms or been diagnosed with the disease. Half the subjects will be given chloroquine. Preliminary results may be available by April 21. Yet generally, the hype has run so far ahead of scientific knowledge that red lights should be flashing and danger sirens sounding. “We need to be really careful about not jumping the gun here,” Annie Luetkemeyer, an infectious disease expert at UC San Francisco, said in a March 24 video discussion in which she spoke of the need for more study. “We don’t have the data that we need to say that these drugs are effective for treatment or for prevention of the disease.” She warned that it is “premature...to be giving either of these medications widely to people” without knowing more about their efficacy or possible hazards. Chloroquine is dangerous when not taken under a doctor’s rigorous supervision, and its shortage can cause life-threatening consequences for lupus patients and serious health effects for rheumatoid or inflammatory arthritis patients. The bottom line is that evidence for chloroquine’s effectiveness in COVID-19 is unsubstantiated. It derives heavily from the work of a controversial French expert in infectious diseases, Didier Raoult, whose studies on the topic have been criticized as inconclusive, but who has been enthusiastically promoting chloroquine as the nearest thing to a miracle drug. https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2020-04-01/trump-chloroquine-coronavirus-bad-science-hiltzik-column

Trump administration ended pandemic early-warning program to detect coronaviruses. Two months before the novel coronavirus is thought to have begun its deadly advance in Wuhan, China, the Trump administration ended a $200-million pandemic early-warning program aimed at training scientists in China and other countries to detect and respond to such a threat. The project, launched by the U.S. Agency for International Development in 2009, identified 1,200 different viruses that had the potential to erupt into pandemics, including more than 160 novel coronaviruses. The initiative, called PREDICT, also trained and supported staff in 60 foreign laboratories — including the Wuhan lab that identified SARS-CoV-2, the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Field work ceased when the funding ran out in September, and organizations that worked on the PREDICT program laid off dozens of scientists and analysts, said Peter Daszak, president of EcoHealth Alliance, a key player in the program. https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/science/story/2020-04-03/coronavirus-trump-pandemic-program-viruses-detection

Trump administration ended pandemic early-warning program to detect coronaviruses. Two months before the novel coronavirus is thought to have begun its deadly advance in Wuhan, China, the Trump administration ended a $200-million pandemic early-warning program aimed at training scientists in China and other countries to detect and respond to such a threat. The project, launched by the U.S. Agency for International Development in 2009, identified 1,200 different viruses that had the potential to erupt into pandemics, including more than 160 novel coronaviruses. The initiative, called PREDICT, also trained and supported staff in 60 foreign laboratories — including the Wuhan lab that identified SARS-CoV-2, the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19. https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2020-04-02/coronavirus-trump-pandemic-program-viruses-detection

America shuts the barn door too late on the epidemic. Florida’s infection rate is way higher than Australia’s. Georgia overtook Japan 10 days ago. Texas only took the plunge on Tuesday. Even then, the stay-at-home order was riddled with holes. Greg Abbott, the Texas governor, insisted on including churches in its list of “essential services”. One thing every pathogen loves is a congregation. As America’s south goes, so goes Brazil and Mexico, each of which is stubbornly ignoring the lessons from elsewhere. Mr DeSantis may have upheld spending numbers for March. But at what expense? One in four of Florida’s residents is over 65, which is 50 per cent higher than the national figure. Mr DeSantis, too, has deemed churches “essential services”. The cost to Florida of gratuitous deaths is surely higher than last month’s tourism receipts. That same miscalculation applies to the White House on a far larger scale. Donald Trump wasted weeks dismissing the virus in the vain hope of talking up the stock market. As a result, the US has now been forced to take far more economically damaging measures to contain it. https://www.ft.com/content/0dcf6d1b-c43f-485e-80b5-46337b70e6c0 via @financialtimes

11 times Donald Trump has 'belittled' coronavirus. Vice President Mike Pence said something truly unbelievable in an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Wednesday. "I don't believe the President has ever belittled the threat of the coronavirus," the vice president told Wolf. Which, even by Pence standards -- the VP is an unstinting, 100% supporter of President Donald Trump -- is pretty bad. https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/01/politics/donald-trump-coronavirus-mike-pence/index.html

Fact-checking President Trump's marathon coronavirus briefing https://cnn.it/2JsS3QW President Donald Trump tried Tuesday to cast himself as the wise leader who rejected the advice of a "group" of people who had portrayed the coronavirus as a mere flu and had argued that life should go on as normal. He did not mention that he had been the most powerful member of that group.
Trump's marathon coronavirus press conference included the usual barrage of specific false claims. But it was more notable for the dishonesty of the broad story he was telling -- an audacious attempt to erase the memory of his relentless efforts to suggest the coronavirus was not a crisis.
Trump spoke frankly on Tuesday about projections that suggest 100,000 to 240,000 Americans could die from the virus even if people follow federal guidelines meant to slow its spread. But he also made a claim that he prevented a much higher death toll, as high as 2.2 million, by taking the virus much more seriously than some other intelligent people.
"Think of what would have happened if we didn't do anything. I mean, I've had many friends -- businesspeople -- people with great, actually, common sense, they said, 'Why don't we ride it out?' A lot of people have said -- a lot of people have thought about it. 'Ride it out. Don't do anything, just ride it out and think of it as the flu.' But it's not the flu. It's vicious," he said.
Trump himself repeatedly told Americans in January and February to think of the coronavirus as the flu.

Rural-state governors tell Trump they need tests and medical supplies, too. In response to requests for more testing kits, Mr. Trump said, "I haven't heard about testing in weeks," according to an audio recording of the call between the president and governors obtained by CBS News. During the call, which lasted a little over an hour, Democratic and Republican governors detailed how they are struggling to obtain the protective equipment doctors and nurses will need to treat the sick and the test kits needed to determine whether sick residents are suffering from COVID-19. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rural-state-governors-tell-trump-they-need-tests-and-medical-supplies-too/ via @CBSPolitics

Experts Say The Coronavirus Outlook Has Worsened, But The Trajectory Is Still Unclear. MAR. 26, 2020, AT 12:17 PM The expert consensus is that COVID-19 will cause 246,000 deaths in 2020, higher than last week’s estimate of 200,000 deaths. The consensus estimate ranges, though, between 36,000 and 1.1 million. That’s quite a span, with major implications for American society tucked into that uncertainty. https://53eig.ht/3alRSD1

Dr. Deborah Birx predicts up to 200,000 deaths ‘if we do things almost perfectly’ Joining TODAY from Washington, the response coordinator for the White House Coronavirus Task Force, Dr. Deborah Birx, says, “We’re very worried about every city in the United States” and that “in some metro areas we were late in getting people to follow the 15-day guidelines.” She predicts that “if we do things together well, almost perfectly, we could get in the range of 100,000 to 200,000 fatalities,” but adds, “we’re not sure all of America is responding in a uniform way.” https://www.today.com/video/dr-deborah-birx-predicts-up-to-200-000-deaths-if-we-do-things-almost-perfectly-81368133527 via @TODAYshow

FDA authorizes chloroquine for use in treating coronavirus. One way to read these op-eds is that you can prevent COVID-19 by treating yourself using off-the-shelf meds combined with dosage used in China or elsewhere, a dosage that’s plainly advertised in articles. That’s absolutely not the way about curing COVID-19. Separately, a report from France’s Le Point said on Monday that chloroquine use in coronavirus patients lead to cardiac toxicity and cardiac arrests. The report talks about several fatal cases, without providing any figures. If you don’t experience symptoms, keep respecting social distancing measures. If you do, then contact your doctor for guidance. https://bgr.com/2020/03/30/coronavirus-vaccine-still-far-away-fda-approves-chloroquine-treatment/

Trump clashes with reporter during coronavirus briefing: 'Be nice'"PBS NewsHour" reporter Yamiche Alcindor questioned Trump during the briefing over recent comments he made during an interview with Fox News's Sean Hannity about whether some requests from governors related to the outbreak were overblown or unnecessary. Trump responded by first denying that he had made the comments, which were reported by multiple news outlets at the time, before accusing Alcindor of acting "threatening" during the briefing. Alcindor asked Trump another question later in the press conference after CNN's Jeremy Diamond apparently passed the microphone to her, an act for which she thanked him on Twitter. Which health professionals are telling you that more people will die from the economic impact than coronavirus? https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/490093-trump-gets-in-back-and-forth-with-reporter-during-coronavirus

Mnuchin: Virus task force unanimously shunned Trump's quarantine idea. The White House coronavirus task force unanimously shunned President Donald Trump’s suggestion of a quarantine in the New York City area, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Sunday. The president “did very seriously consider” the idea of locking down the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, Mnuchin said on “Fox News Sunday.” But Trump was dissuaded after a meeting with the task force led by Vice President Mike Pence. https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/29/trump-new-york-quarantine-mnuchin-coronavirus-153681 via @politico

Trump’s ‘Don’t Blame Me’ Message Is Going to Wear Terribly By Jonathan Chait Over the last 24 hours, President Trump has aggressively widened the circle of people or countries that are making it impossible for Donald Trump to handle the coronavirus. In a Thursday night interview with Sean Hannity, Trump complained about Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer (“She is a new governor and it’s not been pleasant”), Washington governor Jay Inslee, and the demand by various hospital staff for more ventilator machines (“You know, you go to major hospitals, sometimes they’ll have two ventilators. And now all of a sudden they’re saying, ‘Can we order 30,000 ventilators?’”). Friday, on Twitter, he added General Motors CEO Mary Barra (“Always a mess with Mary B.”) Trump happens to be enjoying his highest approval ratings at the moment. It is possible he will somehow maintain, or even enhance, his current standing. But his handling of the coronavirus — even from the narrow perspective of politics, which is how Trump himself views it — is doing almost everything to ensure that his bump is short-lived, and will eventually be followed by a long, steep decline. https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/03/trumps-coronavirus-blame-responsibility-polls-election.html

How long will coronavirus last in the US? Americans shouldn’t expect life to be back to normal by Easter. Those infected with the virus are often contagious while they’re asymptomatic and the incubation period can last up to two weeks. Since many states only instituted stay-at-home orders just over a week ago, cases should be expected to increase over the next couple of weeks and data from any flattening of the curve won't be visible for weeks yet. https://fxn.ws/2Ulv3JU #FoxNews

The Lost Month: How a Failure to Test Blinded the U.S. to Covid-19. At the start of that crucial lost month, when his government could have rallied, the president was distracted by impeachment and dismissive of the threat to the public’s health or the nation’s economy. By the end of the month, Mr. Trump claimed the virus was about to dissipate in the United States, saying: “It’s going to disappear. One day — it’s like a miracle — it will disappear.” By early March, after federal officials finally announced changes to allow more expansive testing, it was too late to escape serious harm. Now, the United States has more than 100,000 coronavirus cases, the most of any country in the world. Yet even with deaths on the rise, cities shuttered, the economy sputtering and everyday life upended, many Americans who come down with symptoms of Covid-19 still cannot get tested. https://nyti.ms/2JkLno5

Trump team failed to follow NSC’s pandemic playbook. The 69-page document, finished in 2016, provided a step by step list of priorities – which were then ignored by the administration. The playbook was designed “so there wasn’t piecemeal thinking when trying to fight the next public health battle,” said one former official who contributed to the playbook, warning that “the fog of war” can lead to gaps in strategies. https://politi.co/3bvtLSj via @politico

Another Day, Another Meme to Debunk: Vaccines for the Bovine Coronavirus Will Not Cure COVID-19. According to the CDC, coronaviruses were first identified in the mid-1960s. “Coronavirus” is a term for a group of diseases. Seven different kinds of human coronaviruses exist, including 229E, NL63, OC43 and HKU1. Most human coronaviruses cause “mild to moderate upper-respiratory tract illnesses,” similar to the common cold. In different species, coronaviruses can produce “a wide spectrum of disease syndromes.” The CDC mentions that: “Sometimes coronaviruses that infect animals can evolve and make people sick and become a new human coronavirus. Three recent examples of this are 2019-nCoV, SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV.” https://www.motherjones.com/coronavirus-updates/2020/03/bovine-coronavirus-vaccine-meme-debunk-facebook/ via @MotherJones

Sharp closing several locations amid coronavirus outbreak. Sharp said Tuesday that it was temporarily closing its La Mesa West and Point Loma locations beginning Thursday, March 26. Sharp's Chula Vista location will also be operating at "limited capacity, offering only occupational medicine, pharmacy and urgent care services starting Friday, March 27." Meanwhile, Sharp Healthcare is beginning a drive-though donation drive for personal protective equipment on Wednesday. Those who wish to donate can visit any of the hospital's locations in San Diego, La Mesa, Coronado and Chula Vista between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. https://www.10news.com/news/local-news/sharp-closing-several-locations-amid-coronavirus-outbreak

Before Trump’s inauguration, a warning: ‘The worst influenza pandemic since 1918' In a tabletop exercise Jan. 13, 2017 days before an untested new president took power, officials briefed the incoming administration on a scenario remarkably like the one he faces now. https://politi.co/33yHYLT via @politico

Russia shutting borders with Poland and Norway over coronavirus. An exception is being made for citizens from neighboring Belarus, official delegations and holders of Russian residence permits, according to a statement from the Russian government. "We ask Russians to minimise travel. Limiting foreign business trips and mass events in all regions, including entertainment, sports and business events is recommended. We ask everyone to keep calm, since these are preventive measures," said Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. Authorities said there were 14 new confirmed cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of infected people to 59, according to Russian media. https://www.politico.eu/article/coronavirus-russia-poland-border/

What Trump’s Twitter Feed Tells Him About the Coronavirus. The president follows 47 accounts on Twitter. Here are the five main things they’re saying about the pandemic. https://politi.co/2xvG7v4 via @politico

Trump was caught saying 'oh f---' into a hot mic moments before he began his televised speech on. C-SPAN also caught the moments after Trump delivered his speech as the cameras were still rolling. "OK," Trump said with a sigh as he began to remove his mic from his lapel. The cameras continued rolling for another 10 seconds before the stream cut out. ... https://news.yahoo.com/trump-caught-saying-oh-f-032803437.html

No, the coronavirus isn't a flu. No, the virus isn't contained. No, not everybody who wants a test can get one. No, Obama didn't impede coronavirus testing and do nothing about swine flu. No, the number of cases wasn't going down to zero from 15. https://t.co/BsVJ2XRNW7 — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) March 11, 2020

Coronavirus is exposing Trump's unsuitability to handle a crisis. by Philip Klein | March 08, 2020 11:51 AM President Trump’s bombastic style has served him well through many stages of his political career, but as the coronavirus spreads rapidly throughout the United States, it is exposing how deeply unsuited he is to deal with a genuine crisis that he can’t bluff his way through. It’s one thing for Trump to insist he had a “perfect” phone call and have all his Republican minions fall in line. It’s another thing to downplay a growing epidemic as more and more Americans get sick. On February 26th, Trump patted himself on the back for the relatively low number of cases in the U.S. “You have 15 people, and the 15, within a couple of days, is going to be down to close to zero, that’s a pretty good job we’ve done," he said. By March 5, he was tweeting that the U.S. had “only 129.” Just a day later, he said there were 240 cases, portraying this as a low number relative to the seasonal flu. Sunday morning, he avoided stating any number in touting, “We have a perfectly coordinated and fine tuned plan at the White House for our attack on CoronaVirus. We moved VERY early to close borders to certain areas, which was a Godsend. V.P. is doing a great job. The Fake News Media is doing everything possible to make us look bad. Sad!” As of this writing, Johns Hopkins has tracked 428 cases in the U.S. https://washex.am/38A4oNB The Washington Examiner is an American conservative news website and weekly magazine based in Washington, D.C. It is owned by MediaDC, a subsidiary of Clarity Media Group, which is owned by Philip Anschutz. In 2016, Klein left the Republican party in protest over the nomination of Donald Trump, tweeting out his announcement and the completed voter registration form on 3 May 2016.

I was never planning a vote prior to the 2020 Election on the wonderful HealthCare package that some very talented people are now developing for me & the Republican Party. It will be on full display during the Election as a much better & less expensive alternative to ObamaCare... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1113432687757484032

...This will be a great campaign issue. I never asked Mitch McConnell for a vote before the Election as has been incorrectly reported (as usual) in the @nytimes, but only after the Election when we take back the House etc. Republicans will always support pre-existing conditions! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1113435291472277509

The Trump campaign told TV stations they could lose their licenses for airing an ad criticizing the president’s actions in the coronavirus crisis. President Donald Trump’s campaign, in a letter on Wednesday, told stations in five battleground states to stop showing the ad from Priorities USA, a political action committee that supports Democratic candidate Joe Biden. Failure to remove the ad “could put your station’s license in jeopardy” before the Federal Communications Commission, the campaign said in the letter. “Your station has an obligation to cease and desist from airing it immediately to comply with FCC licensing requirements.” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-26/trump-campaign-s-threat-on-tv-licenses-may-be-mostly-bluster via @bpolitics

OAN White House correspondent accuses the media of “siding with foreign state propaganda, Islamic radicals, and Latin gangs and cartels” Trump responds: “It is fake news. It's more than fake news, it's corrupt news.” "major left wing news media, even in this room, have teamed up with Chinese Communist Party narratives, and they're claiming you are racist for making these claims about Chinese virus. Is it alarming that major media players, just to oppose you, are consistently siding with foreign state propaganda, Islamic radicals, and Latin gangs and cartels? And they work right here at the White House with direct access to you and your team?" https://www.mediamatters.org/one-america-news-network/oan-white-house-correspondent-accuses-media-siding-foreign-state

Megyn Kelly @megynkelly I’m so frustrated right now ... that we can’t trust the media to tell us the truth without inflaming it to hurt Trump ... that Trump has misled so many times we no longer know when to trust his word ... that even I as a journalist am not sure where to turn for real info on COVID.

Radio host Todd Starnes out at Fox News. The radio host made headlines on Monday when a guest on his program claimed that Democrats do not believe in the Christian God and instead may worship Moloch, a pagan god synonymous with child sacrifice. Starnes also drew considerable backlash in July during an appearance on "Fox & Friends" when he instructed Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) to take a “one-way plane ticket back to whatever third-world hellhole you came from.” Omar, 37, is one of the first Muslim women elected to Congress. https://thehill.com/homenews/media/464127-radio-host-todd-starnes-out-at-fox-news

CNN’s Corey Lewandowski catastrophe. Wednesday's interview shows that the network's model is broken. Corey Lewandowski, President Donald Trump’s former campaign manager and a close ally to the White House, admitted in congressional testimony on Tuesday that he feels “no obligation to be honest with the media.” That should have come as little surprise for journalists -- lying to reporters is one of the things for which Lewandowski is best known, along with physically accosting them -- but it did present them with an interesting test: How do you report on someone who has admitted under oath that he lies to the press? Lewandowski’s admission of dishonesty didn’t keep him off of Fox News’ “news” or “opinion” shows after the hearing -- and in fact, both ignored that revelation, perhaps signaling that the network is eager for its audience to be lied to. Over the course of the 15-minute New Day spot, Lewandowski led co-host Alisyn Camerota in circles on whether he was bound by the Trump White House’s executive privilege claim and lied about the contents of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report. Even as he lied, he repeatedly accused Camerota of being the “disingenuous” one. When Camerota finally raised Lewandowski’s testimony that he felt “no obligation” to tell the truth during an interview, he immediately pivoted to a harangue about the honesty of CNN and its employees. In a particularly nonsensical turn, having established that Lewandowski might be lying to her audience, she then asked him a series of fact-based questions as if anyone could have any confidence in the veracity of his answers. https://www.mediamatters.org/cnn/cnns-corey-lewandowski-catastrophe

Who’s funding the controversial anti-AOC political ad? The half-minute ad featured former congressional candidate Elizabeth Heng, who lost her race against incumbent Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.) last year. Heng, a daughter of Cambodian refugees, attacked the New York Democrat’s image as “the face of socialism and ignorance.” The group behind the ad — New Faces GOP PAC — is a recently formed super PAC funded mainly by Republican donors and little-known corporations, most of whom also gave money to Heng’s campaign. The group’s website says its goal is to “help elevate the next generation of Republicans so that we can not only survive as a party, but expand beyond the boundaries we’ve set for ourselves.” The group has received nearly $171,000 from 22 donors since January. It spent $71,800 — almost half of what it raised — airing the ad in the nation’s capital during and after the Thursday debate, according to Federal Communications Commission records in OpenSecrets’ political ad database. Venture capitalist Paul Martino, who founded San Francisco firm Bullpen Capital, wrote a $25,000 check to the new group. New York businessman Andrew Sabin, an active donor to both Republicans and conservation causes, contributed $10,000 to New Faces GOP. Tov Investments, LLC made the largest contribution of those companies at $25,000. The limited-liability corporation is a property investment company for Millbrae resident Karen Tov and other members of her family, according to California business records. Members of the Tov family gave $21,600 to Heng’s campaign in 2018. Hanna Trust DTD, a shell corporation affiliated with California businessman David Hanna, gave $10,000 to the group. Hanna, the son of legendary animator William Hanna, gave $5,400 to Heng last year. An active Republican donor, he gave a total of $175,000 to the once-mighty Karl Rove-affiliated American Crossroads super PAC between the 2012 and 2016 election cycles.
Shiralian Enterprises — which gave $5,000 — is an umbrella company for gas stations and truck stops owned by Fresno businessman Shawn Shiralian, according to California business records. Shiralian contributed $2,700 to Heng in 2018 and is an active donor to Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.). Another donor corporation, T Management Services, Inc, is an obscure consulting firm owned by Long Beach businessman Gary DeLong, according to California business records. DeLong, a former Long Beach city council member, ran unsuccessfully for California’s 47th District seat in 2012. He also gave $2,700 to Heng in 2018 and chipped in another $12,500 to the House Republicans’ Congressional Leadership Fund super PAC. Other donors to give $10,000 include the owner of a California onion farm and the senior advisor at a Los Angeles private equity firm. One of the group’s original largest donors, California businessman James Jameson, had his $25,000 contribution refunded in June. The former George H.W. Bush administration official gave $5,400 to Heng’s unsuccessful 2018 campaign and is a longtime donor to California Republicans. https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2019/09/whos-funding-the-controversial-anti-aoc-political-ad/ via @OpenSecretsDC

Nexstar TV stations to begin playing national anthem every day starting Labor Day. The 171 Nexstar television stations across the U.S. plan to start kicking off their daily broadcasts by playing “The Star-Spangled Banner,” according to a Friday announcement. Nexstar Media Group will partner with music rights company BMI and Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., for the new daily series, which will begin on Monday, Labor Day. “Nexstar’s core mission is to provide exceptional service to the local communities where we operate across America through our organization-wide commitment to localism, unbiased local broadcast journalism and telling the local stories that matter to our viewers and their families,” said Tim Busch, president of Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc., in a company release. https://thehill.com/homenews/media/459448-nexstar-tv-stations-to-begin-playing-national-anthem-every-day-starting-labor

YouTube takes down Infowars again. Infowars briefly returned to YouTube before being removed from the platform Thursday, a spokesperson for the video platform confirmed to The Hill. "The War Room," Infowars’ program for afternoon commuters, relaunched its YouTube channel on Wednesday, Vice News first reported. In the first video uploaded to the channel, "War Room" host Owen Shroyer reportedly read a portion of Wojcicki's letter in a video titled “Breaking! YouTube CEO says ‘Alex Jones’ and ‘Infowars Ban Is Over,'” according to Vice. Infowars was not directly mentioned in the letter. The channel was removed Thursday, but not before posting several more videos, Vice reported. https://thehill.com/policy/technology/459297-youtube-takes-down-infowars-again

Leaked Emails Show How White Nationalists Have Infiltrated Conservative Media. Conservative institutions in the Donald Trump era have often sought to portray themselves as shocked and appalled by the so-called “alt-right.” White nationalists have also engaged in their own efforts to differentiate themselves from the neoconservatives who dominated the GOP for decades. But neither narrative is true. The reality is that a host of supposedly veritable right-wing institutions have become a safe haven for the far-right. Indeed, there is a burgeoning underground network of group chats, message boards, and email chains serving as the breeding ground for incubating white nationalist ideas, and as a forum to strategize around how to launder those ideas through mainstream conservative publications. And, judging from a large series of messages from one of those email groups obtained by Splinter, it’s working. These endeavors are often tactical in nature. As Paul Gottfried, a far-right political theorist, observed in the 2008 speech that is widely credited as birthing the term “alternative right,” “we must try to do what is possible rather than what lies beyond our limited material resources.” This new right, Gottfried said, could only win by conquering the institutions that neoconservatives then dominated. It needed the institutions it sought to annihilate to thrive. (Gottfried, who once told a journalist that he co-created the term “alt-right” with Richard Spencer, has since sought to distance himself from his former collaborator, though he has also mounted defenses of the overall movement on far-right websites.) https://splinternews.com/leaked-emails-show-how-white-nationalists-have-infiltra-1837681245

Trump criticizes Fox, which 'isn't working for us anymore'. on Wednesday tweeted that Fox News has become too hospitable to Democrats and "isn't working for us anymore," arguing his supporters "have to start looking for a new News Outlet." Trump lashed out in a trio of tweets after a spokeswoman for the Democratic National Committee (DNC) appeared on "America's Newsroom." The president cited her interview; the employment of former DNC Chairwoman Donna Brazile; Juan Williams, who is also a columnist for The Hill; and anchor Shepard Smith to claim the network is biased against him. "Just watched @FoxNews heavily promoting the Democrats through their DNC Communications Director, spewing out whatever she wanted with zero pushback by anchor, @SandraSmithFox. Terrible considering that Fox couldn’t even land a debate, the Dems give them NOTHING!" Trump tweeted. Trump blasted the network as "HOPELESS & CLUELESS" for hiring Brazile, Williams and Smith, each of whom have criticized the president at various times. "They should go all the way LEFT and I will still find a way to Win — That’s what I do, Win. Too Bad!" Trump continued. "I don’t want to Win for myself, I only want to Win for the people. The New @FoxNews is letting millions of GREAT people down! We have to start looking for a new News Outlet. Fox isn’t working for us anymore!" https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/459105-trump-criticizes-fox-which-isnt-working-for-us-anymore

Right-Wing Star Andy Ngo Exits Quillette After Damning Video Surfaces. The writer and photog is out of a job after being caught in incriminating undercover footage with right-wing activists. His former employer insists the two events aren’t related. But footage taken by an undercover liberal activist in May and described on Monday by the Portland Mercury showed Ngo witnessing activists from the far-right group Patriot Prayer planning a violent confrontation at a bar associated with left-wing activists. Ngo never reported on what he had seen the Patriot Prayer members planning, and some of the people involved in the attack at the bar now face felony riot charges. https://www.thedailybeast.com/andy-ngo-who-became-a-right-wing-star-leaves-quillette-after-incriminating-video-appears

Fox News outdraws liberal CNN, MSNBC again, extending win streak to 212 straight months. Fox News also topped all of basic cable during the primetime hours of 8-11 p.m. ET, averaging 2.4 million viewers while second-place MSNBC finished with 1.5 million. Despite finishing second, MSNBC has its lowest-rated primetime since President Trump took office. Fox News also finished as No. 1 in all key ad performance metrics for 2019 to-date, including likeability and ad, brand and message recall, according to Phoenix TV Brand Effect. “Hannity” was the most-watched program on cable news, averaging 3.3 million total viewers and “Tucker Carlson Tonight” finished second with an average of 3.1 million. “Hannity” and “Tucker” finished as the only two programs across all of cable news to surpass the three-million viewer plateau. https://fxn.ws/2ZuZsF1 #FoxNews

Media, Propaganda, archived August 27, 2019

Press coverage of Trump’s “chopper talk” is passing along his lies. But there’s another way that “chopper talk” benefits Trump: News outlets tend to cover those press gaggles by transmitting the president’s typical stream of falsehoods to the public unimpeded. Journalists are rushing to pass along Trump’s statements without trying to verify his claims in a way that surely leaves their audience more confused and less informed. https://www.mediamatters.org/donald-trump/press-coverage-trumps-chopper-talk-passing-along-his-lies

James O’Keefe’s Google ‘Whistleblower’ Loves QAnon, Accused ‘Zionists’ of Running the Government. The former YouTube software engineer believes Google is now trying to “off” him. What O’Keefe’s video leaves out, though, is that his much-hyped insider is not as credible as he claims. On social media, Vorhies is an avid promoter of anti-Semitic slanders that banks, the media, and the United States government are controlled by “Zionists.” He’s also pushed conspiracy theories like QAnon, Pizzagate, and the discredited claim that vaccines cause autism. https://www.thedailybeast.com/james-okeefes-google-whistleblower-loves-qanon-accused-zionists-of-running-the-government

After the El Paso shooting, users on 4chan and 8chan say that Tucker Carlson has taken their talking points. Carlson has been mentioned on 4chan and 8chan more than 19,000 times this year. Just days after a gunman reportedly posted a white supremacist manifesto riddled with Fox News talking points on extremist message board 8chan and allegedly killed more than 20 people in El Paso, TX, Fox prime-time host Tucker Carlson said that the idea of white supremacy is a “hoax.” Meanwhile, users on 4chan and 8chan have praised Carlson since the shooting, arguing that the Fox host was taking his talking points from their message boards, which have been hot spots for white supremacy. On August 6, discussing the recent mass shooting in El Paso, Carlson claimed that the issue of white supremacy was “a hoax” and “not a real problem in America.” Carlson made these claims even though the shooter’s manifesto featured talking points ripped from Carlson’s own show. https://www.mediamatters.org/tucker-carlson/after-el-paso-shooting-users-4chan-and-8chan-say-tucker-carlson-has-taken-their

Far-Right Accounts Retweeted by Trump Keep Getting Suspended. “Twitter’s always been fair to me,” said one Trump supporter. “Until the president of the United States retweeted me.” Nearly 10 percent of the unverified accounts retweeted by President Trump since his inauguration are currently suspended from Twitter for various violations of the platform’s policies, ranging from hate speech to running fake sockpuppet accounts, a Daily Beast analysis has found. The most recent occurrence was last week, when Twitter tapped the brakes on “LYNNTHO06607841” just hours after Trump retweeted the account’s proclamation that “DEMOCRATS ARE THE TRUE ENEMIES OF AMERICA!” Before it was boarded up, the account’s timeline was thick with all-caps conspiracy theories targeting prominent Democrats, including a recent tweet claiming Bill and Hillary Clinton “torture and sacrifice children” to get at “a drug that can only be found inside the human skull.” https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-retweet-can-be-a-death-sentence-on-far-right-twitter?source=twitter&via=desktop via @thedailybeast

Learn about Germany’s dark history at Nazi rally grounds in Nuremberg. Just outside of the city center in Nuremberg, massive stone structures loom ominously over an idyllic park. This is where hundreds of thousands of Nazi Party supporters gathered between 1933 and 1938 in what were known as the Nuremberg Rallies. The Nazi Party held yearly rallies in Nuremberg to celebrate their elevation to power and the end of the democratic Weimar Republic, which preceded the Third Reich. This is where evil found some of its largest audiences, while Hitler repeatedly violated the treaty that ended World War I and the West appeased Hitler’s advances into other countries in the name of preventing another war — at least for a little while. If you’ve ever seen images showing Hitler observing a living sea of people beneath waving swastikas, they were likely at one of these rallies. https://www.stripes.com/learn-about-germany-s-dark-history-at-nazi-rally-grounds-in-nuremberg-1.592803

Marco Rubio's "gotcha" tweet about Ilhan Omar: Aid and comfort to white nationalism. It's a story that flared up the outrage cycle swiftly and will almost certainly die down as swiftly. On Thursday afternoon, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., retweeted a video that had appeared on Fox News, the Daily Caller and elsewhere, purporting to show Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., calling on Americans to be "more fearful of white men" and advocating "profiling, monitoring and creating policies to fight the radicalization of white men." Rubio was clearly still angry that mainstream journalists correctly called it racist when Donald Trump told four congresswomen of color to "go back" to other countries (when three of the four were born in the United States). So the Florida senator tweeted, "I am sure the media will now hound every Democrat to denounce this statement as racist. Right?" The problem, of course, is the video was a fake, and not even a good one. It was deceptively edited to remove the language that made it quite clear that Omar was not calling for the profiling of white men, but in fact the opposite. She was using the absurdity of that idea — that all white men would be profiled simply because a handful of white men commit terrorist acts — to illustrate why it's unfair to treat Muslims that way. https://www.salon.com/2019/07/26/marco-rubios-gotcha-tweet-about-ilhan-omar-aid-and-comfort-to-white-nationalism/

Fox & Friends praises Trump's bigoted tweet telling Democratic congresswomen to leave the United States. Fox & Friends cohost Jedediah Bila says that Trump is "making an important point". While many commentators noted the open racism of Trump's remarks, Fox & Friends praised Trump for "making an important point," even laughing along as they read what he wrote. http://mm4a.org/4yi

Trump’s Social Media Summit Mortifies White House, Enrages Far-Right Allies. No one who is invited to the summit has actually been banned from social platforms. Notably, the group so far doesn’t appear to include anyone who has actually been banned from major social platforms, even though those bans have played a significant role in driving accusations on the right that the social giants are biased. Pro-Trump figures like anti-Muslim activist Laura Loomer, InfoWars conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, and Proud Boys men’s group founder Gavin McInnes, for example, don’t appear to have been invited. “What benefit would it be to anyone if Laura Loomer were in the same room with the president?” a senior Trump administration official familiar with the planning told The Daily Beast. “Why on earth would we do that? We aren’t that stupid. Come on.” “It’s just absolutely disgusting how poorly this summit was planned and how blatant the act was to keep banned individuals out,” Loomer wrote in a Telegram post. “I cannot believe that every single banned person was out of the summit.” But one would-be invitee has already proved too controversial even for Trump’s White House. Organizers initially invited pro-Trump cartoonist Ben Garrison, a prolific illustrator whose cartoons, which invariably depict a muscular Trump defeating his foes, frequently go viral on the right-wing internet. But after Garrison posted his invite on Twitter, critics pointed out that Garrison once created an anti-Semitic cartoon that featured a billionaire Democratic financier and the Rothschild family controlling American political figures. In a classic Trump move, Garrison blames the controversy on “fake news.” Even if he can’t visit the White House on Thursday, though, Garrison might get one thing out of it. Garrison tells The Daily Beast he’s considering making a cartoon about his thwarted White House visit. https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-social-media-summit-mortifies-white-house-enrages-far-right-allies

The White House's social media summit is just another stunt to game the refs
Human Events publisher Will Chamberlain
Tim Pool, youtube
Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk
pro-Trump meme creator known as Carpe Donktum
Media Research Center founder Brent Bozell
Students for Trump co-founder Ryan Fournier
Ali Alexander (formerly known as Ali Akbar) is another right-wing media personality
James O’Keefe of Project Veritashttp://mm4a.org/4Cb

Tucker Carlson: "Ilhan Omar is living proof that the way we practice immigration has become dangerous to this country". Carlson: "Maybe we are importing people from places whose values are simply antithetical to ours. ... ​No country can import large numbers of people who hate it and expect to survive. Ilhan Omar has an awful lot to be grateful for, but she isn't grateful, not at all. After everything America has done for Omar and for her family, she hates this country more than ever." http://mm4a.org/4CY

Fox News breaks July 4 records with ratings for Trump's 'Salute to America'. Fox News had 4.8 million viewers for its coverage of President Trump's Fourth of July "Salute to America" speech, according to Nielsen Media Research, marking the highest ratings the network has registered on July 4 in its nearly 23-year history. The viewership topped NBC's prime-time coverage of the Fourth of July fireworks show from New York City, which averaged 3.8 million total viewers. CNN also carried Trump's speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington live and averaged 1.5 million viewers. In the 25- to 54-year-old demographic sought by advertisers, Fox News averaged 793,000 viewers during the president's remarks, while CNN averaged 353,000 in the category. The Fox coverage was anchored by chief congressional correspondent Mike Emanuel. https://thehill.com/homenews/media/452180-fox-news-breaks-july-4-records-with-ratings-for-trumps-salute-to-america

Russian intel planted Seth Rich conspiracy theory: report. Conspiracy theories that former Democratic National Committee (DNC) staffer Seth Rich was murdered on the orders of 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton originated with the Russian foreign intelligence service, according to a Yahoo News investigation. The SVR circulated a fake “bulletin” it passed off as a genuine intelligence report about Rich, who was killed in Washington, D.C., in July 2016 in what the D.C. Police Department have said was a botched robbery, Yahoo news reported on Tuesday. The document outlined the initial conspiracy theory, that Rich was killed on Clinton’s orders on his way to alert the FBI to corruption within the Clinton campaign. The same day, the details were reproduced on the website whatdoesitmean.com, which attributed them to “Russian intelligence.” https://thehill.com/homenews/media/452157-russias-foreign-intelligence-service-secretly-planted-fake-report-that-seth

Sebastian Gorka: Rep. Ocasio-Cortez was "screaming like a harridan, like a witch at those CBP officers". Gorka: "You may not agree with everything Jack Posobiec does, but his sources are often very good ... she went in there to intimidate" http://mm4a.org/496

After losing NRA spokesperson job, Dana Loesch goes on Fox to falsely claim only 1% of Americans want stronger gun laws. Radio host and former National Rifle Association spokesperson Dana Loesch went on Fox to falsely claim more Americans believe “9/11 was an inside job” and “the moon landing was faked” than support enacting gun stronger gun laws. http://mm4a.org/49Z

Tucker Carlson defends Trump for being "sincere" in liking Kim Jong Un and "realistic" about North Korean atrocities. there's no defending the North Korean regime, which is a monstrous regime, it's the last really Stalinist regime in the world. It's a disgusting place, obviously. So there's no defending it. On the other hand, you know, you got to be honest about what it means to lead a country, it means killing people. http://mm4a.org/49G

Rush Limbaugh rants for 7 minutes about how the Democrats are "the country’s biggest hate group" They are the biggest threat to civil liberties, they are the biggest threat to freedom of speech, they are the biggest threat to the second amendment, they are the biggest threat to the innocence of unborn life, they are the biggest threat to anybody who is not one of them. They are the biggest threat to prosperity. They represent the biggest threat to private property. They represent the biggest threat to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that exists in this country today. The Democrat Party is that. That is what they have become. They all hate us and they all want to relegate us to a status of nonexistence and irrelevancy, and their hatred for us is propelling them. They believe that there is more hatred for us than there is support for us. http://mm4a.org/49p

Thread: As Trump holds a re-election rally tonight in Orlando.. a look back at some of his most eye opening events in 2018. Something I write about in “The Enemy of the People.” Trump proudly retweeted a video of the hostile behavior we witnessed in Tampa. — Jim Acosta (@Acosta) https://twitter.com/Acosta/status/1140943294865825792 June 18, 2019

@seanhannity's outrage over Nancy Pelosi's comments about putting President Trump in jail has some people calling the Fox News host a hypocrite. We look back at Hannity's past statements about putting Hillary Clinton behind bars. https://twitter.com/PolitiFact/status/1139634324804907008 June 14, 2019

CNN's Jim Acosta claims Trump was just engaging in an 'act' when he called him 'fake news' https://fxn.ws/2Exia7f #FoxNews

Out-of-Control Sean Hannity Thumbs His Nose at Fox News Bosses. Despite reportedly being told to stop referring to dubious pundits as ‘investigative reporters,’ the prime-time star has continued to do so. Does anyone at Fox control Hannity? A blaring example of that is Hannity’s treatment of claims from guests whose dubious “reporting” would never pass muster on Fox’s hard news shows. The most commonly cited example of this is Trump-boosting Fox News contributor Sara Carter, whose news credibility is so questionable that, as Mediaite reported in March, Fox News executives allegedly told Hannity to stop calling her an “investigative reporter” on his show. https://www.thedailybeast.com/out-of-control-sean-hannity-thumbs-his-nose-at-fox-news-bosses

Trump ramps up war against 'political bias' with new social media reporting tool. The form urges users to post screenshots to back up claims of political bias and it also asks for the respondent's first and last name, zip code, phone number and their citizenship of residency status. - ABC News - https://abcn.ws/2JHb6s9

Fox News contributor: "The Democrats scare me. ... I mean, in like a Bill of Rights-shredding kind of way. They genuinely scare me." http://mm4a.org/4De

The press is doing everything within their power to fight the magnificence of the phrase, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! They can’t stand the fact that this Administration has done more than virtually any other Administration in its first 2yrs. They are truly the ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1114221533461790721

Inside the spectacular fall of the granddaddy of right-wing conspiracy sites. The site’s founder, Joseph Farah — a former newspaperman with a dense, jet-black mustache and a cloak-and-dagger mystique — boasted in 2010 that he was well on the way to generating $10 million a year in revenue. His Northern Virginia-headquartered news site, known by the acronym WND, was having its moment by stoking rumors about Obama. His daughter, Alyssa Farah — Vice President Pence’s press secretary — wrote for WND briefly in 2013 and 2014. https://wapo.st/2UeNa67

Snared by a cybercult queen. Hello, Dear Friends and White Knights. Blessings and love, Dove of Oneness. Shaini Goodwin's acolytes stood by theater doors, handing out sheets of paper headed with a mysterious acronym - NESARA. It stands for the secret law, the one Dove claims Congress passed four years ago. The one that abolishes income taxes, forgives mortgages, zeroes out credit cards and declares peace. https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/special-reports/article25855081.html

Tonight in my monologue I will tell you why you should be angry after Mueller probe found no collusion between Trump and the Russians. We’ll expose how exactly the media and the Dems pushed their false narrative, and what should happen next. You won’t want to miss this. Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) href="https://twitter.com/seanhannity/status/1110346942289190913

Trump campaign urges networks to challenge top Trump detractors. President Donald Trump’s campaign on Monday urged major news networks to not allow on their shows several people, including Democratic lawmakers, who have been critical of the president, adding that the networks should report the conclusions of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report as a “complete vindication” of Trump.Murtaugh called on the networks to refuse six commentators who claimed there was Russian collusion: Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) and Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez and former CIA Director John Brennan. https://politi.co/2TYjVnJ via @politico

She exposed Russian trolling. Her award for her work was rescinded after she criticized Trump. For her journalism, Ms. Jessikka Aro was informed in January by the State Department that she was to be one of the winners of this year’s International Women of Courage Award, presented Thursday by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and first lady Melania Trump. The award has been given since 2007 to women around the world who have “demonstrated exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, gender equality, and women’s empowerment, often at great personal risk and sacrifice.” Ms. Aro got a formal invitation from the State Department on Feb. 12, and a tour around the United States was envisioned. However, according to Foreign Policy magazine, which broke the story, the State Department then wrote to Ms. Aro to rescind the award, saying there had been a “regrettable error.” In fact, Foreign Policy reported, the award was rescinded because Ms. Aro had criticized President Trump on social media. It wasn’t clear who made the decision. But it is in keeping with a president who has set the tone of prizing loyalty and personal sycophancy over wisdom and vision. Ms. Aro deserved the award. She should hold her head high for courage, unlike those who denied her the honor. https://wapo.st/2TGin0M

Leaked chat messages show members of white supremacist group Identity Evropa are obsessed with Tucker Carlson http://mm4a.org/4Xs

Judiciary

Brett Kavanaugh Fit In With the Privileged Kids. She Did Not. During the winter of her freshman year, a drunken dormitory party unsettled her deeply. She and some classmates had been drinking heavily when, she says, a freshman named Brett Kavanaugh pulled down his pants and thrust his penis at her, prompting her to swat it away and inadvertently touch it. Some of the onlookers, who had been passing around a fake penis earlier in the evening, laughed. To Ms. Ramirez it wasn’t funny at all. It was the nadir of her first year, when she often felt insufficiently rich, experienced or savvy to mingle with her more privileged classmates. At least seven people, including Ms. Ramirez’s mother, heard about the Yale incident long before Mr. Kavanaugh was a federal judge. Two of those people were classmates who learned of it just days after the party occurred, suggesting that it was discussed among students at the time. We also uncovered a previously unreported story about Mr. Kavanaugh in his freshman year that echoes Ms. Ramirez’s allegation. A classmate, Max Stier, saw Mr. Kavanaugh with his pants down at a different drunken dorm party, where friends pushed his penis into the hand of a female student. Mr. Stier, who runs a nonprofit organization in Washington, notified senators and the F.B.I. about this account, but the F.B.I. did not investigate and Mr. Stier has declined to discuss it publicly. (We corroborated the story with two officials who have communicated with Mr. Stier.) https://nyti.ms/2LwEqCf

Only Congress can look into concerns about Justice Brett Kavanaugh now, but there's no indication it'll do so. According to many of the complaints, Kavanaugh violated codes of conduct set for federal judges by becoming angry and emotional during his confirmation hearings in September. A California woman, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, testified that Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her at a party in high school. At least two other women then came forward with allegations against the then-nominee. Kavanaugh unleashed a partisan diatribe during the hearings. “This whole two-week effort has been a calculated and orchestrated political hit fueled with apparent pent-up anger about President Trump and the 2016 election, fear that has been unfairly stoked about my judicial record, revenge on behalf of the Clintons and millions of dollars in money from outside left-wing opposition groups,” he said at one point. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/brett-kavanaugh-ethics-complaints-dismissed_n_5d4442a1e4b0acb57fcb6356

Judicial committee dismisses ethics complaints against Kavanaugh, citing Supreme Court position. A judicial committee on Thursday ruled in favor of dismissing ethics complaints filed against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, finding that his confirmation to the court excludes him from the ethics rules in question. The Judicial Conference’s Committee on Judicial Conduct and Disability found that they do not have the authority to review the claims against Kavanaugh because he is now a Supreme Court justice. The rules in question only apply to those on lower courts, like circuit, district, magistrate and bankruptcy judges. “As a Supreme Court Justice, Justice Kavanaugh is not a judge subject to the Act,” Thursday’s order states. https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/455789-judicial-committee-dismisses-ethics-complaints-against-kavanaugh

Clarence Thomas Shows How the Supreme Court Would End Roe v. Wade. Justice Thomas’ theory of stare decisis is like a roadmap for how to overrule decisions one disagrees with. First, frame the disagreement as one over “quality” rather than principle. Second, trivialize the ways in which people rely on the law as it stands. And third, with the stroke of a pen, wipe out constitutional rights that people like me mistakenly think we possess. https://www.thedailybeast.com/clarence-thomas-shows-how-supreme-court-would-overturn-roe-v-wade

Justice Clarence Thomas' moment may finally have arrived. Thomas is now the longest-serving member of a court that has recently gotten more conservative, putting him in a unique and potentially powerful position, and he's said he doesn't plan on retiring anytime soon. With President Donald Trump's nominees Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh now on the court, conservatives are firmly in control as the justices take on divisive issues such as abortion, gun control and LGBT rights. https://www.stripes.com/news/us/justice-clarence-thomas-moment-may-finally-have-arrived-1.579757

DOJ

Bureau of Prisons chief removed in wake of Epstein suicide. Attorney General William Barr removed the acting head of the Bureau of Prisons, the Justice Department said Monday, replacing the agency's top official in the wake of the suicide of Jeffrey Epstein earlier this month. In a statement, Barr said Hugh Hurwitz, who had served in the acting position since last year, would return to the assistant director position he formerly occupied. Dr. Kathleen Hawk Sawyer, who led the bureau from 1992 to 2003, will be the new director, Barr said. Barr has said he was "appalled" and "angry" to learn of the suicide, and cited "serious irregularities" at the Manhattan facility where Epstein had been detained. https://www.10news.com/news/national/bureau-of-prisons-chief-removed-in-wake-of-jeffrey-epstein-suicide

Pressley to introduce bill to end death penalty after DOJ decision. Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) will introduce a bill to abolish the death penalty after the Department of Justice announced Thursday that it will resume capital punishment for the first time in nearly two decades. The bill seeks to “prohibit the use of the death penalty for any violation of federal law, and for other purposes.” It also calls for any person sentenced to death prior to law's enactment to be resentenced. “The death penalty has no place in a just society,” Pressley tweeted, along with an image of the legislation. https://thehill.com/homenews/house/454844-pressley-to-introduce-bill-to-end-death-penalty-after-doj-decision

Impeachment, House investigation of Trump, Rudy Giuliani

Trump fires intelligence community watchdog who defied him on whistleblower complaint. President Donald Trump has fired the intelligence community’s chief watchdog, Michael Atkinson, who was the first to sound the alarm to Congress last September about an “urgent” complaint he received from an intelligence official involving Trump’s communications with Ukraine’s president. Atkinson's decision set in motion the congressional probe that culminated in Trump's impeachment and ultimate acquittal in a bruising political and legal drama that consumed Washington for months. https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/03/trump-fires-intelligence-community-inspector-general-164287 via @politico

GOP Senators Are Avoiding Rudy Giuliani Ahead of Impeachment Trial. “I wouldn’t trust Rudy to represent me in a parking dispute so I’d say avoid,” one senior GOP Senate aide said when asked about any plans for a Ukraine briefing. “Rudy Giuliani long ago lost any shred of credibility, especially after the dossier he assembled for the State Department stunningly mirrored Russian propaganda,” Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) told The Daily Beast. “Knowing that, anyone that attempts to defend President Trump’s behavior by citing Rudy’s information over our own intelligence agencies is simply irresponsible, uninformed or willing to be that useful idiot the Kremlin desires.” https://www.thedailybeast.com/gop-senators-are-avoiding-rudy-giuliani-ahead-of-impeachment-trial

Trump impeachment witnesses leave a trail of tantalizing clues. They showed up, offered prepared remarks and answered hours of questions to lay out their side of the Ukraine-related impeachment inquiry now engulfing President Donald Trump. But the current and former U.S. officials — several of them experienced diplomats accustomed to documenting almost everything — also left a trail of clues for investigators to follow. The breadcrumbs — word of a cable here, mention of a meeting there — are scattered across what’s been made public from the testimonies. https://politi.co/364l1ki via @politico

Diplomat: Trump linked Ukraine aid to demand for probe. Taylor's appearance was among the most watched because of a text message, released by House investigators earlier in the probe, in which he called Trump's attempt to hold back military aid to Ukraine "crazy." Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., said Taylor "drew a straight line" with documents, timelines and individual conversations in his records. "I do not know how you would listen to today's testimony from Ambassador Taylor and come to any other (conclusion) except that the president abused his power and withheld foreign aid," she said. https://news.yahoo.com/us-diplomat-drawn-trumps-ukraine-043650720.html

Support for impeachment reaches highest level in Fox News poll. The poll released Wednesday found 51 percent of respondents supported Trump's impeachment and removal from office. Four percent of participants said the president should be impeached but not removed, and 40 percent are completely against impeachment. Support for impeachment and removal has risen 9 points since July, increasing 11 points among Democrats, 5 points among Republicans and 3 points among independents. Voters in swing counties, defined as where Hillary Clinton and Trump were within 10 points in the 2016 election, supported impeachment at a rate of 52 percent, 10 points above a comparable population in July. https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/465110-support-for-impeachment-reaches-highest-level-in-fox-news-poll

Trump’s Legal Position on Impeachment Is Bananas. President Trump’s White House declared war on the Democrats’ impeachment inquiry Tuesday evening, vowing a “full halt” to any cooperation going forward. But the letter Trump sent Congress to justify his stance hardly has the trappings of a serious legal memo: It reads more like a Trumpian rant that’s been translated into fancy lawyer speak by the White House counsel’s office, said legal experts who reviewed the document. “It’s a political argument dressed up in legalese,” said William Howell, an expert on the presidency and separation of powers at the University of Chicago. https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/8xwdpk/trumps-legal-position-on-impeachment-is-bananas?utm_campaign=sharebutton via @vice

Trump spinmistress @KellyannePolls attended last night's State Dinner without her husband. This morning, @gtconway3d has co-authored an article saying the time to impeach his wife's boss is now: Opinion | Trump has done plenty to warrant impeachment. But the Ukraine allegations are over the top. Simply put, the framers viewed the president as a fiduciary, the government of the United States as a sacred trust and the people of the United States as the beneficiaries of that trust. Through the Constitution, the framers imposed upon the president the duty and obligation to “take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed” and made him swear an oath that he would fulfill that duty of faithful execution. They believed that a president would break his oath if he engaged in self-dealing — if he used his powers to put his own interests above the nation’s. That would be the paradigmatic case for impeachment. https://wapo.st/2V5yaVc

Air Force crew made an odd stop on a routine trip: Trump’s Scottish resort. Now the layover is part of a broader House inquiry into military spending at and around the Trump property.In early Spring of this year, an Air National Guard crew made a routine trip from the U.S. to Kuwait to deliver supplies. What wasn’t routine was where the crew stopped along the way: President Donald Trump’s Turnberry resort, about 50 miles outside Glasgow, Scotland. Since April, the House Oversight Committee has been investigating why the crew on the C-17 military transport plane made the unusual stay — both en route to the Middle East and on the way back — at the luxury waterside resort, according to several people familiar with the incident. But they have yet to receive any answers from the Pentagon. The inquiry is part of a broader, previously unreported probe into U.S. military expenditures at and around the Trump property in Scotland. According to a letter the panel sent to the Pentagon in June, the military has spent $11 million on fuel at the Prestwick Airport — the closest airport to Trump Turnberry — since October 2017, fuel that would be cheaper if purchased at a U.S. military base. The letter also cites a Guardian report that the airport provided cut-rate rooms and free rounds of golf at Turnberry for U.S. military members. Taken together, the incidents raise the possibility that the military has helped keep Trump’s Turnberry resort afloat — the property lost $4.5 million in 2017, but revenue went up $3 million in 2018. “The Defense Department has not produced a single document in this investigation,” said a senior Democratic aide on the oversight panel. “The committee will be forced to consider alternative steps if the Pentagon does not begin complying voluntarily in the coming days.” https://politi.co/2A1XDVG via @politico

The House just confirmed in court that it’s definitely, absolutely, 100% thinking about impeachment. On Wednesday, the House Judiciary Committee filed a lawsuit in federal court to force former White House Counsel Donald F. McGahn to testify about potential episodes of obstruction of justice by President Donald Trump that were outlined in the Mueller report. McGahn defied a subpoena in May at the request of White House lawyers, who claimed he was “absolutely immune” to orders to testify before Congress. In the complaint filed in the district court for the District of Columbia, the committee insisted that McGahn’s testimony was essential to move forward with any potential impeachment on obstruction of justice grounds. https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/08/house-judiciary-committee-sues-don-mcgahn-donald-trump-impeachment.html via @slate

More than half of House Democrats on board with Trump impeachment inquiry. With fresh support for the inquiry from California Rep. Salud Carbajal, the number of House Democrats in favor reached 118 on Friday. That’s more than half of the 235 House Democrats. https://fxn.ws/2LWWSoX #FoxNews

Majority of House Democrats now support impeachment inquiry. Pelosi will now face increased pressure to back impeachment proceedings. https://politi.co/2GGqra3

House Democratic leadership member backs impeachment inquiry. Rep. Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) on Thursday became the highest-ranking member of House Democratic leadership to endorse an impeachment inquiry a day after former special counsel Robert Mueller's testimony before Congress. Clark, the House Democratic Caucus vice chair, ranks sixth in the leadership hierarchy. Like other Democrats who also have endorsed an impeachment inquiry, Clark said that it should be the path forward given the Trump administration's general refusal to cooperate with their investigations. https://thehill.com/homenews/house/454822-house-democratic-leadership-member-backs-impeachment-inquiry

Are Calls For Impeachment Being Replaced With ‘Lock Him Up?’ Cicilline pushed it further, comparing the Speaker’s alleged comments to Trump’s constant refrain of “Lock her up” when speaking about Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential campaign saying, “It’s kind of rich to have the president complain about this when he began a campaign with ‘lock her up’ as his bumper sticker.” Also on Sunday, Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke was asked on ABC’s This Week if he agreed with Pelosi’s remarks and if he thinks the president committed crimes that could be prosecuted. O’Rourke said, “He did” commit crimes and went on to say, “I think that’s clear from what we have learned from the Mueller report. But I think those crimes might extend beyond what we’ve seen in the Mueller report.” https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/are-calls-for-impeachment-lock-him-up-846132/ via @RollingStone

Robert Mueller's remarks 'explosive,' sets up impeachment talk 'for foreseeable future,' says Andy McCarthy. “If we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so,” Mueller said about the obstruction of justice inquiry into President Trump. https://fxn.ws/2I8nUVY #FoxNews

Confidential draft IRS memo says tax returns must be given to Congress unless president invokes executive privilege. A confidential Internal Revenue Service legal memo says tax returns must be given to Congress unless the president takes the rare step of asserting executive privilege, according to a copy of the memo obtained by The Washington Post. The memo contradicts the Trump administration’s justification for denying lawmakers’ request for President Trump’s tax returns, exposing fissures in the executive branch. Trump has refused to turn over his tax returns but has not invoked executive privilege. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has instead denied the returns by arguing there is no legislative purpose for demanding them. https://wapo.st/2QhCkHm

House progressive: Pelosi 'has it right' on impeachment. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), a leading House progressive, voiced support Tuesday for Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) handling of calls to impeach President Trump, with the Democratic leader opting to have committees conduct oversight investigations into the administration. “I think that she has it right. We have to build a case, we need to have witnesses come before Congress and most importantly we have to show the American people that we’re doing things to improve their lives and trying to find some common ground to get things done,” Khanna said on Fox News. “What she is saying is Congress needs to do its oversight functions, we need to have the committees investigate where there has been misconduct,” he continued. “She’s talking about rigorous government oversight, not making it about an impeachment of this president.” https://thehill.com/homenews/house/444907-house-progressive-pelosi-has-it-right-on-impeachment

Judge rules against Trump in fight over president’s financial records. Trump called the 41-page ruling from U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta of the District of Columbia “crazy” and said he would appeal, adding: “We think it’s totally the wrong decision by, obviously, an Obama-appointed judge.” https://wapo.st/2QcvR0h

Rep. Justin Amash: President Trump engaged in 'impeachable conduct'. In a series of tweets from his verified Twitter account, U.S. Rep. Justin Amash, who is also an attorney and represents Michigan's third congressional district, said the report, which was released in April, revealed that various actions under the president "meet the threshold for impeachment." In addition, Amash said U.S. Attorney General William Barr deliberately misrepresented Mueller's report. https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2019/05/18/justin-amash-trump-mueller-report-impeachable-conduct/3724743002/ via @freep

GOP lawmaker says Trump’s conduct meets ‘threshold for impeachment’. Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.), a critic of President Trump who has entertained a run against him in 2020, became the first Republican congressman to say the president “engaged in impeachable conduct” based on the Mueller report. The Michigan lawmaker, often the lone Trump dissenter on his side of the House aisle, shared his conclusions in a lengthy Twitter thread Saturday after reviewing the full report by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. https://wapo.st/2QdeSKZ

Special Counsel, FBI, Congress hearings, Russia, pee tape

'I did meet with Putin': Dem report highlights Flynn exchange after 2015 trip. The Oversight Committee's new report describes rampant foreign influence seeping into decision-making inside the White House. An initial report on the matter in February described concerns among whistleblowers that corporate and foreign interests had circumvented traditional foreign policymaking in order to influence Trump's plans to share nuclear technology with Saudi Arabia. The committee says it's received 60,000 additional pages of information since then that add substantial heft to those concerns. https://politi.co/2GBcx94

The Senate Intel Committee just released a report detailing Russia's "extensive" meddling in the 2016 elections. Senate Intel Committee Chair Richard Burr (R-N.C.), and Vice Chair Mark Warner (D-Va.) each issued statements with the report’s release. Burr said that in 2016 the United States was “unprepared at all levels of government” for attacks on elections, and has improved in the time since. Burr noted that the Department of Homeland Security and state election officials have a much better working relationship than before, but that “much work remains to be done.” It’s unclear whether Burr considers elections security legislation as part of the work that remains to be done. Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, has prevented most of this type of legislation from coming to the floor, arguing that Congress has done enough and that pending election legislation is merely the Democrats’ effort to usurp states’ rights and bolster their chances at the polls. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/07/the-senate-intel-committee-just-released-a-report-detailing-russias-extensive-meddling-in-the-2016-elections/ via @MotherJones

Prostitution rumors or porn star payoffs: What was Hope Hicks really talking about? On the day after the release of audio in which Trump bragged that he could get away with grabbing women “by the the pussy,” he joined his lawyer and his spokesperson in a conversation that the FBI thought might be about secretly paying off a porn star who says she had sex with Trump while Trump’s wife was pregnant. But Hicks says the call was actually about claims that the Kremlin had caught Trump on video engaging in lewd activities with prostitutes. No evidence has ever emerged of the existence of the infamous “pee tape,” or even of a tape featuring more conventional interactions between Trump and prostitutes. Trump has long denied it exists. Still, it’s striking that the possible topics of this call are porn star or pee tape. No one’s claiming that the conversation was about tax policy. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/07/hope-hicks-stormy-daniels-michael-cohen/ via @MotherJones

UK ambassador vouched for 'legit' dossier author, said Trump killed Iran deal to spite Obama, leaks show. Darroch also reportedly told a U.S. official that Christopher Steele, the author of the discredited anti-Trump dossier that the FBI used to justify secretly monitoring members of the Trump team, was "absolutely legit." https://fxn.ws/2NV3cz5 #FoxNews

‘This wasn’t just a briefing’: Pompeo grilled CIA analysts on Russia findings. The DOJ is now reviewing those same findings after Mike Pompeo found no wrongdoing in how the agency concluded Russia wanted to help Trump in 2016. Just after Pompeo took over as CIA director in 2017, he conducted a personal review of the CIA’s findings, grilling analysts on their conclusions in a challenging and at times combative interview, these people said. He ultimately found no evidence of any wrongdoing, or that the analysts had been under political pressure to produce their findings. https://politi.co/2LjBASj

The special counsel will testify before Congress next week. He needs to answer for historic legal and factual errors. Jed Shugerman. Robert Mueller made a significant legal error and, based on the facts he found, he should have identified Trump campaign felonies. Mueller’s errors meant that, first, he failed to conclude that the Trump campaign criminally coordinated with Russia; second, he failed to indict campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his deputy Rick Gates for felony campaign coordination (see in a concise timeline below); third, the 10 acts of felony obstruction in Volume II fell flat among the general public because it lacked compelling context of these underlying crimes between the campaign and Russia. On top of these errors, the former special counsel said he deliberately wrote the report to be unclear because it would be unfair to make clear criminal accusations against a president. https://www.thedailybeast.com/robert-mueller-missed-the-crime-trumps-campaign-coordinated-with-russia

Trump dossier author Steele gets 16-hour DOJ grilling. The interview was contentious at first, according to two people familiar with the matter, but investigators ultimately found his testimony credible and even surprising. The extensive interview with Steele, and the investigators’ sense that he offered new and important information, may dampen expectations among the president’s allies who’ve claimed that Steele’s sensational dossier was used improperly by the bureau to “spy” on the campaign. https://politi.co/2NY5sWD

Flynn ordered to appear in court with new Trump-approved lawyer. Michael Flynn appears to be sticking with his cooperation deal, despite speculation that his new attorney signaled an intent to cancel a previous guilty plea. https://politi.co/2MYteRQ

Liz Cheney: Statements by agents investigating Trump 'could well be treason'. She specifically went after texts exchanged by former FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page that were critical of Trump and have sparked a Republican effort to investigate potential bias within the Department of Justice against Trump, adding that officials needed to ascertain former FBI Director James Comey’s and Deputy Director Andrew McCabe’s roles in the investigation as well. https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/445588-liz-cheney-statements-by-agents-investigating-trump-could-well-be

Trump: Why wasn't I told Flynn was under investigation? Then-President Barack Obama urged Trump not to hire Flynn in a meeting two days after the election, claiming he was problematic and prone to having crazy ideas, according to officials from both administrations. Sally Yates, Trump’s acting attorney general until he fired her days after taking office, testified to senators in 2017 that she had warned Trump that Flynn could be “compromised” by his ties to the Russians. https://politi.co/2JOnBSH via @politico

Roger Stone is relying on a debunked conspiracy theory to fight his criminal case. In a motion filed on Friday, Stone’s lawyers argued that evidence in his case should be thrown out because the government gathered it using search warrants that stated the FBI was investigating Stone for crimes, including conspiracy and wire fraud, that were based on “the assumption that the Russian state is responsible for hacking” the DNC and Hillary Clinton’s campaign manager, John Podesta. That is, Stone is suggesting Moscow was not behind the hack-and-dump operation against Democrats in 2016. And, in doing so, he is continuing to fuel a discredited conspiracy theory that exploited the tragic murder of 27-year old Democratic National Committee staffer Seth Rich to boost his legal case. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/05/roger-stone-is-relying-on-a-debunked-conspiracy-theory-to-fight-his-criminal-case/ via @MotherJones

Steve Bannon sought alliance with FBI in 2017 White House meeting. Steve Bannon urged two senior FBI officials to put their differences with the White House “behind them” at a meeting in 2017, on the day after Donald Trump asked James Comey, the then head of the FBI, to pledge his loyalty to the president. The exchange, which occurred on 28 January 2017 and has never been publicly disclosed, offers new insights into the ways in which senior White House officials, including Bannon, Trump’s closest adviser at the time, sought to ensure the FBI saw itself as an ally of the White House. It also raises questions about why the incident was not included in the report by special counsel Robert Mueller into Russian influence during the 2016 election, which contained detailed allegations of the ways in which Trump sought to obstruct the FBI’s investigation into the president and his campaign. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/may/14/steve-bannon-white-house-fbi-trump-meeting

Steele's stunning pre-FISA confession: Informant needed to air Trump dirt before election. Kavalec’s notes do not appear to have been provided to the House Intelligence Committee during its Russia probe, according to former Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.). "They tried to hide a lot of documents from us during our investigation, and it usually turns out there’s a reason for it," Nunes told me. Senate and House Judiciary investigators told me they did not know about them, even though they investigated Steele’s behavior in 2017-18. David Bossie, head of Citizens United and an informal Trump adviser, said the documents suggest there was an illegal effort to “frame” the future president with bogus Russia collusion allegations. “This new information proves why the attorney general must conduct a thorough investigation of the investigators,” he said.

McConnell tried to shut the door on the Mueller report. Warren called to impeach Trump instead. In a blistering speech that included direct readings from the Mueller report, Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Tuesday called to initiate impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump, arguing that the events described in the special counsel’s findings amounted to a crime. “There is no political inconvenience exception to the United States Constitution,” Warren said from the Senate floor. “If any other human being in this country had done what’s documented in the Mueller report, they’d be arrested and put in jail.” “We took an oath not to try and protect Donald Trump, we took an oath to protect and serve the Constitution of the United States of America, and the way we do that is we begin impeachment proceedings now against this president,” she continued. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/05/elizabeth-warren-impeach-trump/ via @MotherJones

Trump move raises pressure on Barr. President Trump’s decision to publicly object to special counsel Robert Mueller’s testimony has raised pressure on Attorney General William Barr while stoking a deepening feud with Capitol Hill over presidential power. Barr has maintained that he is willing to allow Mueller to testify, a position that now appears to put him at odds with the president. Until this weekend, Trump had expressed ambivalence over Mueller’s testimony, leaving the decision up to Barr. https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/442376-trump-move-raises-pressure-on-barr

Mueller report sparks new DC war over Russia probe: Subpoenas, payback and more. The public release of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on Thursday marked the dramatic final note of a lengthy and contentious investigation, but also sparked a tinderbox of new calls for subpoenas, congressional testimony, resignations, and even impeachment proceedings -- all despite the probe's central finding that no evidence showed that President Trump's team "coordinated or conspired" with Russia. The whirlwind moments kept coming, even hours after the report's release, as more and more revelations from the 448-page document trickled out. The White House, for its part, claimed total victory and vindication for the president who, according to the report, once fretted that the special counsel's appointment marked the "end" of his presidency and that he was "f---ed" beyond the possibility of redemption. https://fxn.ws/2GuWBpo #FoxNews

Here’s video of Roger Stone saying his friend in London recently met with Assange. Says "mother-load" is coming from Wikileaks & has "reason to believe that it is devastating.” Says “Assange has all of the emails." Dug up by >@TheDemCoalition. From 10/3/16. Scott Dworkin (@funder) https://twitter.com/funder/status/1116371443128918017 April 11, 2019

Trump Jr. and Other Aides Met With Gulf Emissary Offering Help to Win Election. Erik Prince, the private security contractor and the former head of Blackwater, arranged the meeting, which took place on Aug. 3, 2016. The emissary, George Nader, told Donald Trump Jr. that the princes who led Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were eager to help his father win election as president. The social media specialist, Joel Zamel, extolled his company’s ability to give an edge to a political campaign; by that time, the firm had already drawn up a multimillion-dollar proposal for a social media manipulation effort to help elect Mr. Trump. https://nyti.ms/2IV6EpU

House Democrats target Trump’s personal finances. House Democrats are planning to cross one of President Donald Trump’s red lines: investigating his personal finances. With special counsel Robert Mueller expected to wind up his probe soon, Democrats are launching an investigation to discover why Deutsche Bank was willing to lend The Trump Organization money when other banks weren't’t and whether Russia was involved. The German bank, which has been under scrutiny for its role in Russian money laundering, lent Trump hundreds of millions of dollars over the years for his property development ventures. The House Financial Services and Intelligence committees have been staffing up for their probes into the bank and Trump's alleged Russia ties. Democrats on the panels have said they are willing to pursue a key area with Deutsche Bank that Mueller might have avoided — by crossing what Trump sees as a red line into his personal finances. https://politi.co/2IxNI1r

Fed slashes rates by half a percentage point. “The fundamentals of the U.S. economy remain strong,” the Fed’s rate-setting committee said in a statement on the cut, which is twice the size of the central bank’s typical rate moves, signaling a strong desire to reassure markets. “However, the coronavirus poses evolving risks to economic activity.” https://politi.co/38jIb60 via @politico

Ponzi schemes hit highest level in a decade, hinting next ‘investor massacre’ may be near. Authorities uncovered 60 alleged Ponzi schemes last year with a total $3.25 billion in investor funds — the highest amount since around the time of the Great Recession, according to new data.
Bernard Madoff ran the largest Ponzi scheme in history, a $65 billion scam affecting thousands of investors that came to light in 2008.
A booming stock market and de-regulatory emphasis in Washington may be leading more criminals to engage in investment fraud. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/11/ponzi-schemes-hit-the-highest-level-in-10-years.html

Three theories of how this bull market will go off the rails. Theory No. 1: Concentration: The stock market has ceased to be a report card on the broad health of American commerce and is instead being hijacked by four or five monopoly-like companies that basically can’t keep rising. Wealth concentration in the market is well documented. Microsoft Corp., Apple Inc., Amazon.com Inc., Alphabet Inc., and Facebook Inc. now make up 18% of the S&P 500, a record. Combined, they account for half of the S&P 500’s gain this year, and one-fifth of its 400% rise since March 2009. When they break, so will everything else. Theory No. 2: The Fed: The stock market has ceased to be a report card on the broad health of American commerce and instead is being manipulated by the Federal Reserve. Easy money and plentiful liquidity are the market’s drug, and when they’re taken away, withdrawal will be rough. Financial conditions are historically loose and monetary policy accommodative, and now the central bank is pumping billions of dollars worth of liquidity into financial markets to keep short-term funding markets tame. Theory No. 3: Passive funds: The stock market has ceased to be a report card on the broad health of American commerce and is more like a perpetual-motion experiment fueled by self-fulfilling deposits into passive funds. It’s a theory you hear a lot: that exchange-traded funds and other index products are fueling a bubble. ETFs from industry titans like Vanguard Group Inc. and BlackRock Inc. cost next to nothing to trade, are diversified similar to mutual funds, but are easier to jump in and out. https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2020-02-16/stocks-bull-market

Trump’s First 3 Years Created 1.5 Million Fewer Jobs Than Obama’s Last 3. New Labor Department statistics show that despite Trump’s repeated boasts, job creation was a lot higher during Barack Obama’s final years Newly revised figures from Trump’s own Department of Labor show that 6.6 million new jobs were created in the first 36 months of Trump’s tenure, compared with 8.1 million in the final 36 months of Obama’s ― a decline of 19% under Trump, according to a HuffPost analysis. Economists say that the slowing of job creation is not surprising. There are fewer empty jobs and fewer unemployed people available to fill them as the economy gets closer to full employment. “I’m not a big fan of jobs numbers as a metric of success,” said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, once the top economic adviser to the late Arizona Sen. John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign. He added, though, that Trump’s “hyperbole” notwithstanding, “the performance of the labor market has been nothing short of stunning.”. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-obama-jobs-created_n_5e419dc0c5b6bb0ffc169993

It turns out that the economy never had a Trump bump. President Donald Trump has always exaggerated the strength of his jobs record, claiming to have brought about an unprecedented hiring boom when, in fact, payrolls have been growing at a somewhat slower pace than they had been during Barack Obama’s final years in office. But it turns out, the reality of it was even weaker than the official data let on. On Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its latest batch of employment numbers, along with its annual benchmark revisions adjusting its estimates from prior months. Before, the government believed that the U.S. had added 223,000 jobs per month in 2018, the year that the GOP’s tax cuts and new, higher spending levels took effect. It has now lowered that estimate to 193,000 per month, a significant drop. https://slate.com/business/2020/02/trumps-jobs-bls-obama-economy.html via @slate

Investors at home and abroad are piling into American government debt. Fiscal profligacy can continue for now, but is it economically sensible? Jan 25th 2020 In the good old days, America’s budget deficit yawned when the economy was weak and shrank when it was strong. It fell from 13% to 4% of gdp during Barack Obama’s presidency, as the economy recovered from the financial crisis of 2007-09. Today unemployment is at a 50-year low. Yet borrowing is rising fast. Tax cuts in 2017 and higher government spending have widened the deficit to 5.5% of gdp, according to imf data—the largest, by far, of any rich country. It could soon widen even further. President Donald Trump is thought to want a pre-election giveaway. Fox News is awash with rumours of “Tax Cuts 2.0”. This month the Treasury announced it would issue a 20-year bond, which would lengthen the average maturity of its debt and lock in low interest rates for longer. All this is quite a change for many Republicans, who once accused Mr Obama of profligacy, but now say that trillion-dollar deficits are no big deal. Democratic presidential candidates, meanwhile, are talking about Medicare for All and a Green New Deal. A new consensus on fiscal policy has descended on Washington. Can it hold? https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2020/01/25/investors-at-home-and-abroad-are-piling-into-american-government-debt

U.S. economic activity slumped in the fourth quarter, according to new data from Yelp. On-line listing firm forecasts weak first quarter in 2020 as well in new economic indicator. https://on.mktw.net/37m0QP1

Low unemployment isn’t worth much if the jobs barely pay. Each month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases its Employment Situation report (better known as the “jobs report”) to outline latest state of the nation’s economy. And with it, of late, have been plenty of positive headlines—with unemployment hovering around 3.5%, a decade of job growth, and recent upticks in wages, the report’s numbers have mostly been good news. But those numbers don’t tell the whole story. Are these jobs any good? How much do they pay? Do workers make enough to live on? Here, the story is less rosy. In a recent analysis, we found that 53 million workers ages 18 to 64—or 44% of all workers—earn barely enough to live on. Their median earnings are $10.22 per hour, and about $18,000 per year. These low-wage workers are concentrated in a relatively small number of occupations, including retail sales, cooks, food and beverage servers, janitors and housekeepers, personal care and service workers (such as child care workers and patient care assistants), and various administrative positions. https://brook.gs/35tHupy via @BrookingsInst

The economies of nine U.S. states are expected to slide into contraction within six months -- the most since the financial crisis. Philadelphia Fed index adds Vermont, New Jersey, Kentucky. Economy will be a key issue in this year’s presidential race. West Virginia’s economy is forecast to shrink the most, while a decline in neighboring Pennsylvania is anticipated to be the most severe since May 2009 during the tail-end of the Great Recession, figures released this week show. A faltering economic outlook in coming months would likely cast a shadow over President Donald Trump’s re-election bid. Delaware, Montana and Oklahoma are still expected to face shrinking economies in the next six months, as predicted in the analysis for the prior month. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-01-02/nine-states-face-economic-contraction-most-since-2009-crisis via @markets

US manufacturing plunges deeper into recession. America's manufacturing downturn isn't letting up. Factory activity contracted for the fifth consecutive month in December, registering a worse drop than expected.
The Institute of Supply Management's manufacturing purchasing managers' index logged its lowest level since June 2009 at 47.2, compared with the consensus forecast of 49. It stood at 48.1 in November. Any number below 50 denotes a contraction.
Uncertainties surrounding the US-China trade war weighed on the sector last year. And while Washington and Beijing stand to sign a preliminary trade deal on January 15, economic data from December was still deflated because of the spat.
"Global trade remains the most significant cross-industry issue, but there are signs that several industry sectors will improve as a result of the 'phase one' trade agreement between the US and China," said Timothy Fiore, chair of the ISM manufacturing business survey committee. https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/03/economy/december-manufacturing-downturn/index.html

Sales of Manhattan's priciest apartments plunge almost 40% in fourth quarter. The average sales price for Manhattan real estate fell 7.5% to $1.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2019, according to a report from Douglas Elliman and Miller Samuel. The median sales price fell below $1 million. Total sales were down, discounts were up, and there is now an eight-month supply of unsold apartments. https://cnb.cx/2QjVn5o

Railroads are slashing workers, cheered on by Wall Street to stay profitable amid Trump’s trade war. While the U.S. economy overall is growing moderately, the railroad industry is a cautionary sign of the ongoing pain in the industrial sector and the deep structural changes underway in the economy that are eliminating middle-class jobs. President Trump’s trade war has hit agriculture and manufacturing hard, causing lower demand for companies that move freight. But railroad stocks soared in 2019 after rail executives embraced automation and cost-cutting to remain profitable, doubling down on the idea that rail’s future entails longer, faster trains and fewer workers. More than 20,000 rail workers have lost their jobs in the past year, the biggest layoffs in rail since the Great Recession and a nearly 10 percent decline in rail employment, according to Labor Department data through November. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/railroads-are-slashing-workers-cheered-on-by-wall-street-to-stay-profitable-amid-trumps-trade-war/2020/01/02/dc757ed4-1603-11ea-a659-7d69641c6ff7_story.html

Stock market bubble is forming and a 50% plunge is inevitable: strategist. One can’t help but to think the “everything rally” that is engulfing Wall Street right now is a classic asset bubble just waiting to explode sometime in 2020. “I think so,” AdvisorShares CEO Noah Hamman told Yahoo Finance’s The First Trade, referring to whether we are witnessing a bubble form across asset classes. “It will continue on for a while for as long as we see we have an indication that we could have lower rates ahead possibly though with a pause, but with an increasing Fed balance sheet.” https://finance.yahoo.com/news/stock-market-bubble-is-forming-and-a-50-plunge-is-inevitable-strategist-164718742.html

At each end of Pacific, skepticism over China farm purchases. From Beijing to America’s farm belt, skeptics are questioning just how much China has actually committed to buy — and whether U.S. farmers would be able anytime soon to export goods there in the outsize quantity that Trump has promised. It amounts to $40 billion a year, according to Trump’s trade representative, Robert Lighthizer. If you ask the exuberant president himself, though, the total is actually “much more than’’ $50 billion. To put that in perspective, U.S. farm exports to China have never topped $26 billion in any one year. https://apnews.com/ebf7a2646dda9371fe2762a5a3f1804f

Trump hypes China trade deal as new doubts emerge. But Washington and Wall Street are reacting with caution to the announcement, following signals from Beijing that it still needs time to finalize the terms and amid criticism that the limited agreement does not touch on many of Trump’s top priorities for a broader trade deal. The trade pact, announced Friday, would freeze a planned increase of tariffs on $250 billion in Chinese goods from 25 percent to 30 percent. But it doesn’t address another round of tariffs on $160 billion in Chinese-made consumer goods scheduled for December. “The Chinese don’t want Xi to move forward with this initial phase or this initial detente if they don’t get rid of the December tariff threat as well,” said Stephen Myrow, managing partner at Beacon Policy Advisors. “No matter what they sign, they don’t really trust Trump.” The deal’s most concrete achievement was Trump’s decision to scrap the planned tariff increase which was scheduled to take effect Tuesday. In return, China promised to purchase $40 billion to $50 billion worth of U.S. agriculture, as well as aircraft purchases from Boeing. Trade watchers note, though, that that portion of the deal has not been signed or finalized, and China has previously retreated from similar promises. https://thehill.com/policy/finance/465770-trump-hypes-china-trade-deal-as-new-doubts-emerge

Manufacturing is now officially in recession, despite Trump's vow to boost industry. As measured by the Federal Reserve, manufacturing output shrank over two straight quarters this year. That’s the common definition of recession. A separate, widely followed index drawn from purchasing managers showed September’s contraction in manufacturing was the steepest since June 2009, with production, inventories and new orders all falling. And after adding nearly half a million jobs in the prior two years, which Trump frequently stressed in hard-hat rallies throughout the Midwest, manufacturing employment has stalled. Instead of healthy job growth, layoff announcements have surged this year, especially in battleground states such as Pennsylvania and Michigan. Friday’s jobs report for September showed a slight drop in total factory jobs. https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2019-10-09/despite-trump-vow-manufacturing-in-recession

There’s a 50% chance recession will hit in 2020, economist says. Economist and “Narrative Economics” author Robert Shiller is predicting a coin-flip as to whether a recession is on the horizon. “There will be another recession,” Shiller said on FOX Business’ "Cavuto: Coast to Coast." “I give it a 50% chance in 2020. We're on a tipping point now.” https://fxn.ws/33qkRSa #FoxBusiness

‘An existential political risk’: Trump manufactures a swing-state problem. “Manufacturing is in recession right now. This is what all the data show,” said Torsten Slok, chief economist at Deutsche Bank Securities. “And everywhere I go in the world, the fear I hear is that we are going to be driven deeper into recession because this is all about uncertainty caused by the trade war.” Broad national gauges of manufacturing are already troubling, countering some of the president’s claims of success. The Institute for Supply Management manufacturing survey — a widely followed indicator of factory health — has shown a declining sector two months in a row, recently hitting a level not seen since the end of the Great Recession due to a sharp drop in new export orders. Respondents to the survey blamed a trade war that has reduced export demand and increased costs for parts used in manufacturing. At the county and state level, the environment looks even darker for Trump. In Racine County, Wisc., where Trump narrowly defeated Hillary Clinton, manufacturing had a 22.5 percent share of employment in 2016. The jobless rate in the county rose by three tenths of a percent from January 2018 to August 2019. https://politi.co/35fmlQW via @politico

The cost of Trump's tariffs has fallen 'entirely' on US businesses and households. The bank said in a note that consumer prices are higher partly because Chinese exporters have not lowered their prices to better compete in the US market. Trump has repeatedly — and inaccurately — claimed that China will pay for tariffs imposed by the U.S. Goldman https://cnb.cx/2KVc30O

Trade war damage is 'more significant than most Americans ever realized The U.S.-China trade war has dealt heavy blows to the American economy, and President Trump has indicated that the U.S. will not back down. Yet as the tensions between the two countries carry on and the tit-for-tat tariffs continue, the economic consequences are apparent in various sectors across the U.S., from agriculture to manufacturing to even lumber. “Remember, we were told that the trade wars are easy to win,” Doug Barry, senior director of communications and publications for the U.S.-China Business Council (USBC), told Yahoo Finance. “That was just as they were beginning a year ago. We found that not to be true, they’re not easy to win.” Barry added that “not only aren’t they easy to win, but the unintended costs of a trade war are far more significant than most Americans ever realized. That’s the wake-up call — when you start engaging in this kind of conflict, there doesn’t seem to be a bottom to it.” https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trade-war-us-china-cost-160123386.html

US manufacturing survey shows worst reading in a decade. A gauge of U.S. manufacturing showed the lowest reading in more than 10 years in September as exports dived amid the escalated trade war. The U.S. manufacturing purchasing managers’ index from the Institute for Supply Management came in at 47.8% in September, the lowest since June 2009, marking the second consecutive month of contraction. Any figure below 50% signals a contraction. The new export orders index was only 41%, the lowest level since March 2009, down from the August reading of 43.3%, ISM data showed. “We have now tariffed our way into a manufacturing recession in the U.S. and globally,” said Peter Boockvar, chief investment officer at Bleakley Advisory Group. https://cnb.cx/2o950s2

A quarter of NYC's post-2013 luxury condos are unsold. The real estate bubble is in trouble: London's luxury housing market has been in freefall for years, and New York's retail vacancy has been soaring, even as global super-luxe housing is also tanking. Now, analysis from Streeteasy finds that at least a quarter of the luxury condos built in NYC since 2013 are unsold and vacant, even as the city labors under a brutal, destabilizing chronic shortage of affordable housing. Worst hit are "ultraluxury" homes, especially those around "Billionaire's Row" around 57th St in midtown. The numbers are probably much worse, as they don't count the glut of luxury unites count about to hit the market, nor the ones that developers have strategically withheld from listing to keep from revealing the depth of the problem. Developers are quietly boosting sales commissions and offering discounts to buyers, and mooting the idea of bulk sales to vulture funds at massive discounts. https://boingboing.net/2019/09/14/towering-inferos-r-us.html

President Trump is at war with American companies, toy firm CEO says. Jay Foreman The author is the CEO of Basic Fun, which produces toys such as K’nex, Lite-Brite and Cuteitos. Mr. President, you are “the great deal maker” and “that’s what you do,” but I’m trying to figure out why, after two and a half years and numerous meetings, you haven’t been able to make a trade deal with China. You also haven’t been able to make a nuclear deal with North Korea, pass effective immigration laws, pass meaningful gun background checks or pass a dynamic infrastructure bill. The fact is you are just not that good at making deals. Maybe if you would just stop tweeting you would figure out we’ve been winning all along. https://cnb.cx/2UwNz0r

Manufacturing Shrinks For 1st Time In 3 Years On Trade Tensions. Manufacturing activity shifted into reverse in August for the first time in three years, as factory owners adjusted to the ongoing trade wars. An index compiled by the Institute for Supply Management showed a decline in nearly every measure, including new orders, production and employment. The index had been signaling a slowdown in manufacturing since April, but the August reading is the first to show an actual contraction of the factory sector since August of 2016. "Trade remains the most significant issue," said ISM's Timothy Fiore, who compiled the index. Ongoing tensions with China and other trading partners led to a sharp drop in export orders, while also disrupting supply chains for factories that produce for customers here at home. "While business is strong, there is an undercurrent of fear and alarm regarding the trade wars," one manufacturer in the chemical industry told ISM. "Tariffs continue to be a strain on the supply chain and the economy overall," added a survey respondent in the electronics business. https://n.pr/2LnH6ku

August was a volatile month for stocks, but September could be worse. “August was a burst of volatility for most investors, and we expect that to continue in September,” LPL Financial senior market strategist Ryan Detrick said in an analyst note on Friday. Markets enter the month expecting a second rate cut by the Federal Reserve but weighed down by uncertainties surrounding the U.S.-China trade war, as well as fears that slowing global growth could spill over into the U.S. August, the worst month for the major indexes since May, was already tumultuous for investors. The volatility began Aug. 1, when President Trump announced his administration intended to impose a 10% tariff on $300 billion worth of Chinese goods, the latest escalation in the year-long trade war between the world’s two largest economies. Amid the heightened tensions, both countries continued to hit back at each other with tariffs over the course of the month. https://fxn.ws/2ZwS2Fz

Factbox: Next rounds of Trump's tariffs on Chinese goods to hit consumers. U.S. President Donald Trump’s next round of tariffs on Chinese imports is scheduled to take effect starting on Sunday, escalating the trade war between the world’s two largest economies with a big hit to consumer goods. Trump has targeted some $300 billion in annual goods imports from China for 15% tariffs in two parts, on Sept. 1 and Dec. 15. If fully imposed, virtually all Chinese imports - worth about $550 billion - would be subject to punitive U.S. tariffs imposed since July 2018. https://reut.rs/2ZojCWa

New China tariffs a 'job killer,' US industry tells Trump. More than 200 footwear manufacturers and retailers, including major brands such as Nike and Foot Locker, signed onto the letter alerting that the new tariffs could cost US consumers an additional $4 billion a year and increase the chances of an economic downturn. A broad array of 160 other trade groups -- including software and electronics manufacturers, as well as retailers, liquor producers and others -- also warned Trump of higher prices and damaged consumer confidence and urged him to abandon the tariff strategy. "We've been telling the White House since the beginning that tariffs will be paid by Americans in the form of higher prices, and that due to our already high import taxes, this will be a job killer," Matt Priest, president of the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America, said in a statement. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/china-tariffs-job-killer-us-footwear-industry-tells-191647906--finance.html

Billionaire developer Stephen Ross on the housing market: 'There will be a slowdown'. “I mean, I think real estate today is probably in the eighth inning, you know?” said Ross, chairman and founder of the global real estate firm Related Companies. “We're certainly not starting something fresh. You know, we're at a point now where I think there will be a slowdown because it has to happen,” said Ross, who stopped short of saying that there’s a housing bubble. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/stephen-ross-hudson-yards-housing-110300406.html

No cushion for the Trump recession: Why this one could be worse than 2008. Even a mild downturn could hit Americans harder — the "recovery" from 2008 left too many people on the margins. The stark reality is that in the last decade or so the rich have gotten richer as the rest of the country has sunk deeper and deeper into debt, with little to show for it except rent receipts. As we head into the next downturn, whenever it happens, tens of millions of American families are hanging on the edge of economic oblivion. Thanks to the Trump tax cut, their government will be too much in debt to throw them a lifeline. https://www.salon.com/2019/08/25/no-cushion-for-the-trump-recession-why-this-one-could-be-worse-than-2008/

New data challenges Trump's economic narrative. But a slew of recent data suggests the Trump economy has fared no differently than other expansions at this stage. And those same numbers indicate the president's economy may be headed toward a downturn. “I would actually say it’s been a weaker recovery than what we’ve seen previously, particular in comparison to the expansions of the '80s and '90s,” said PNC Bank Chief Economist Gus Faucher. That viewpoint has been shaped by figures like the ones released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Thursday. The agency issued a downward revision showing the economy added 500,000 fewer jobs from January 2018 through March 2019. What was once an impressive 223,000 jobs added each month last year, on average, may have been closer to 191,000, according to the new data. Even before the revision, average monthly job growth since Trump took office has been 193,000, below the 208,000 average in former President Obama's second term. The recent revision puts Trump's overall monthly average at 177,000. https://thehill.com/policy/finance/458634-new-data-challenges-trumps-economic-narrative

Economy, Jobs, Budget, Taxes, Trade, archived August 25, 2019

Is a global recession coming? Here are seven warning signs. The US-China trade war, jitters in Germany and Brexit uncertainty point to a slump.

Escalation in US-China tariff war

Slowing US growth

US GDP slowed to 2.1% annualised growth in the second quarter

Long recession in Germany

German GDP shrank by 0.1% in the second quarter

Chinese debt crisis

China's monthly industrial production growth is at a 30-year low

Brexit

UK GDP contracted by 0.2% between April and June to its level since the fourth quarter of 2012

Argentina, Iran, South Africa, Turkey and Venezuela. A string of countries are currently in recession or have recently suffered a contraction.

Intellectual Property and China: Is China Stealing American IP? According to a 2017 report by the United States Trade Representative, Chinese theft of American IP currently costs between $225 billion and $600 billion annually. How extensive is IP theft in China? Why does it happen, and how can it be stopped? In this Q&A, Stanford Law School Professor Paul Goldstein discusses the issues. https://law.stanford.edu/2018/04/10/intellectual-property-china-china-stealing-american-ip/ via @StanfordLaw

Here are 5 cases where the U.S. says Chinese companies and workers stole American trade secrets

Chinese tech giant Huawei stole trade secrets from U.S. cellphone company T-Mobile and offered bonuses to employees who managed to swipe technology from other companies.

Apple would collect less revenue without China, the country where its iPhone is assembled and the market that accounts for the most sales of that device outside the U.S. But a secretive project that could become a future gold mine has been infiltrated by thieves trying to steal driverless car technology for a Chinese company, according to criminal charges filed in Silicon Valley. The FBI seized the latest suspect, Apple engineer Jizhong Chen, this month after he bought a plane ticket to China.

Micron Technology the Chinese hoped to break into the market for a technology called dynamic random access memory, or DRAM, that's used in computer electronics.

AMSC, formerly known as American Superconductor Inc. Sinovel Wind Group, was convicted in a federal court in Wisconsin of stealing technology —the electronic brains that run wind turbines.

DuPont Pioneer security guards had caught Mo and other Chinese men digging in a cornfield that contained test plots of new seed corn varieties.

As global economic picture dims, solutions seem out of reach. As global leaders gather on two continents to take account of a darkening economic outlook, this is the picture they face: Factories are slumping, many businesses are paralyzed, global growth is sputtering and the world’s two mightiest economies are in the grip of a dangerous trade war. Barely a year after most of the world’s major countries were enjoying an unusual moment of shared prosperity, the global economy may be at risk of returning to the rut it tumbled into after the financial crisis of 2007-2009. https://apnews.com/6ba54ba727174eb79ba9b289637798e5

Manufacturing sector contracts for the first time in nearly a decade. U.S. manufacturer growth slowed to the lowest level in almost 10 years in August, the latest sign that the trade war may be exacerbating the economic slowdown. The U.S. manufacturing PMI (purchasing managers’ index) was 49.9 in August, down from 50.4 in July and below the neutral 50.0 threshold for the first time since September 2009, according to IHS Markit. Any reading below 50 signals a contraction. The survey is an initial reading for the month of August. The final figure will be released Sept. 3. But this fresh survey showed new orders received by manufacturers dropped the most in 10 years, while the data also showed export sales tanked to the lowest level since August 2009. https://cnb.cx/2NlUpo5

The U.S. job market isn’t quite as strong as originally believed, revised figures from the Labor Department show. New Labor Department revisions complicate the Trump administration’s message of a strong economy. The U.S. job market isn’t quite as strong as originally believed — with revised figures showing that the economy had 501,000 fewer total jobs this March than initially reported. The Labor Department said Wednesday that nearly two-thirds of the downward revision came from the retail and leisure and hospitality sectors, the industries most associated with consumer spending. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/us-fewer-jobs-added-labor-department_n_5d5ece71e4b02cc97c8a4624

Trump phoned bank CEOs as stock market plunged Wednesday: report. People with knowledge of the situation told Bloomberg that Trump’s call with J.P. Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, Bank of America’s Brian Moynihan and Citigroup’s Michael Corbat came as the Dow Jones Industrial Average tanked 800 points, or 3 percent, its worst drop of the year. The three executives were already in Washington for a previously scheduled meeting with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. The president conducted the phone call from his resort in Bedminster, N.J. People familiar with the matter told CNBC that the executives informed Trump that the ongoing trade war with China was hindering consumer and corporate spending. The president was reportedly receptive to the idea that the trade dispute is harming corporate confidence. https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/457752-trump-phoned-bank-ceos-as-stock-market-plunged-wednesday-report

Kudlow: 'There's no recession on the horizon'. The White House adviser demurred when asked by "Fox News Sunday" guest host Dana Perino whether the Trump administration is considering concrete steps to stave off a potential recession after short-term U.S. treasury bonds last week fell below yields for longer-term bonds. The development, which is can signal a forthcoming recession, sparked the worst single-day losses for stocks of 2019. “The Trump pro-growth program, which I believe has been succeeding, we’re going to stay with that,” Kudlow told Perino. “There’s no recession on the horizon," he added. "What’s wrong with a little optimism?” https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/457849-kudlow-theres-no-recession-on-the-horizon

The guy who figured out Bernie Madoff's scam now says GE is about to go bankrupt. Well before the collapse of Bernie Madoff's ponzi scheme -- the largest in world history! -- accounting investigator Harry Markopolos had publicly accused Madoff of running a scam; now he says that General Electric is "one recession away" from bankruptcy, with a "balance sheet in tatters." Markopolos and his team just released a 175-page report called GENERAL ELECTRIC, A BIGGER FRAUD THAN ENRON, which accuses the firm of using accounting tricks to paper over $40b in liabilities and to disguise problems with the company's stake in oil services firm Baker Hughes. GE does not dispute that it has $71b in assets and $106b in debt, but says that it "expects to make significant progress" reducing its debts next year. https://boingboing.net/2019/08/16/worse-than-enron.html

Farmer breaks down talking about Trump's trade war, says "I stay up at night worrying about the future". Trump's attempt to renegotiate trade relations with China has driven consumer prices up, generated global economic uncertainty and forced businesses to alter long-standing relations. Farmers, who sent $5.9 billion worth of farm product exports to China in 2018 and $19.5 billion worth in 2017, have been particularly impacted, as China has leveled retaliatory tariffs against U.S. agricultural products. After Trump announced earlier this month that he intended to levy new tariffs against China on September 1 in an escalation of his trade war, Beijing responded by halting all agricultural imports from the U.S. The rising escalation of the trade war with China has worried some farmers, who have expressed concerns about the impact on their financial stability. Even though Trump has offered $28 billion in bailouts to farmers, the leaders of some prominent farm organizations have said that Trump is causing lasting damage to their industry. https://www.newsweek.com/farmer-breaks-down-talking-about-trumps-trade-war-i-stay-night-worrying-about-future-1454555

Wilbur Ross: No date for next round of U.S.-China talks. "I don’t believe a date has been set," Ross said in an interview on CNBC. Instead, the next step in the long-running negotiations is "perhaps another phone call in a couple of weeks." https://politi.co/2OVqmGl

Trump just acknowledged that tariffs are paid by Americans, footwear trade group CEO says "The announcement today that the Trump Administration will be delaying the additional 10% tariff on some footwear until December 1 is an acknowledgment that tariffs are indeed paid by Americans,” the group’s president and CEO Matt Priest said in a statement. “It is no coincidence that the Administration is allowing certain shoes to come in without raising taxes in hopes that prices do not rise at retail during the holidays. Our industry's loud unified voice left a clear impression that shoe tariffs are already extremely high, upwards of 67.5%, and any further tariffs would directly raise costs on consumers and cost footwear jobs." https://finance.yahoo.com/news/footwear-distributors-retailers-america-trump-delay-tariffs-211032604.html

Trump is driving us toward a big recession: It will be ghastly — but is it deliberate? A 2008-style crash may not be far away. It could even be worse — and once again, Republican delusions are to blame. Worst of all, Trump has clumsily staggered beyond the ludicrous economic policies of the Bush years to further destabilize financial markets, including your 401k accounts and the future security of your employment. Specifically, the president’s trade war of choice against China has turned a steadily rising Dow Jones average, through 2017, into an unstable sawtooth pattern with massive single-day declines that are now tempting a full-on 2008-style collapse. If you don’t believe me, check out the markets from January to March of 2018, during the months immediately following Trump’s tax cut. Normally, a tax cut would drive the financial markets upward. But in March of 2018, just a few months after the bill was signed, Trump stupidly launched his trade war by announcing 25 percent tariffs on steel and 10 percent tariffs on aluminum, applied to all of our trading partners. From those months onward — including today, as I write this article — the Dow, S&P and Nasdaq have been unstable messes. https://www.salon.com/2019/08/13/donald-trump-is-driving-america-off-an-economic-cliff-but-is-it-deliberate/

Trump blinks as trade war threatens consumers. The White House said it would delay 10 percent tariffs slated to take effect Sept. 1 on certain consumer goods from China while exempting other products — less than two weeks after Trump announced the new import taxes. Postponing the tariffs until Dec. 15 is expected to temporarily cool U.S. trade tensions with China while also shielding consumers and American businesses from higher costs. Financial markets also rallied on the news after weeks of anxiety over a global slowdown. But narrowing the scope and delaying the impact of the trade war suggests dwindling odds of striking a broader agreement with China. Trump insisted Tuesday that he maintains the upper hand in his battle with China, arguing that Chinese President Xi Jinping is eager to make a deal. Even so, Trump conceded that he decided to hold off on additional tariffs because of the potential harm to consumers. https://thehill.com/policy/finance/trade/457316-trump-blinks-as-trade-war-threatens-consumers

Wall Street sees risk of recession rising. Stock-market volatility is growing and fears of a slowdown are mounting as Trump ramps up his reelection efforts.Wall Street is getting seriously gloomy about the economy, with recession warnings mounting and stock-market volatility rising just as President Donald Trump prepares to fire up his reelection campaign machine. Over just the last few days, economists at Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Bank of America all warned that Trump’s bitter trade war with China is taking a bigger bite out of economic growth than expected. The warnings came as stocks suffered another big dip on Monday with the Dow closing off nearly 400 points, or 1.5 percent, putting the blue-chip index at 25,897, over 700 points lower than it was in January of 2018 before Trump’s trade fights began in earnest. Stocks bounced back Tuesday after the Trump administration’s announcement about postponing some tariffs that had been set to take effect next month, continuing a long track record of market volatility tied to trade policy. The collective wisdom now spreading across Wall Street is that no trade deal will be struck with China before the 2020 election; business investment will continue to sag; and a series of interest-rate cuts from the Federal Reserve won’t be enough to juice more growth out of an economy now in its tenth year of expansion — the longest stretch in American history. https://politi.co/2OW86MS

The rural America death spiral. Many of the nation's current pathologies are taking a heavy toll on the majority-white population living in rural America, which was severely impacted by the opioid crisis and has dealt with falling populations, job losses and rising suicide rates. Why it matters: The malaise and discontent that President Trump has tapped into goes beyond the racism we've seen over the past few weeks, and includes anger at a changing world and frustration at dwindling opportunities close to home. These trends are further entrenching the rural-urban schism that came to light in the 2016 election. The big picture: Political and economic power is shifting to the cities, and 20% of the population — 46 million people — is being left behind in the middle of America. These communities face increasingly difficult barriers to education, wealth and health. https://www.axios.com/the-rural-america-death-spiral-7c177126-638f-4270-8987-59ab8bf76faa.html

Goldman Sachs economists say fears rise that U.S.-China trade war leading to recession. Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N) said on Sunday that fears of the U.S.-China trade war leading to a recession are increasing and that Goldman no longer expects a trade deal between the world’s two largest economies before the 2020 U.S. presidential election. “We expect tariffs targeting the remaining $300bn of US imports from China to go into effect,” the bank said in a note sent to clients. https://reut.rs/2Z1jRBo

'Trump is ruining our markets': Struggling farmers are losing a huge customer to the trade war — China. U.S. farmers lost their fourth largest customer this week after China officially cancelled all purchases of U.S. agricultural products, a retaliatory move following President Donald Trump’s pledge to slap 10% tariffs on $300 billion of Chinese imports. https://cnb.cx/2TjjmS6

Neoliberalism: Political Success, Economic Failure. By Robert Kuttner, The American Prospect. Since the late 1970s, we’ve had a grand experiment to test the claim that free markets really do work best. This resurrection occurred despite the practical failure of laissez-faire in the 1930s, the resulting humiliation of free-market theory, and the contrasting success of managed capitalism during the three-decade postwar boom. Yet when growth faltered in the 1970s, libertarian economic theory got another turn at bat. This revival proved extremely convenient for the conservatives who came to power in the 1980s. The neoliberal counterrevolution, in theory and policy, has reversed or undermined nearly every aspect of managed capitalism—from progressive taxation, welfare transfers, and antitrust, to the empowerment of workers and the regulation of banks and other major industries. Neoliberalism’s premise is that free markets can regulate themselves; that government is inherently incompetent, captive to special interests, and an intrusion on the efficiency of the market; that in distributive terms, market outcomes are basically deserved; and that redistribution creates perverse incentives by punishing the economy’s winners and rewarding its losers. So government should get out of the market’s way. By the 1990s, even moderate liberals had been converted to the belief that social objectives can be achieved by harnessing the power of markets. Intermittent periods of governance by Democratic presidents slowed but did not reverse the slide to neoliberal policy and doctrine. The corporate wing of the Democratic Party approved. Now, after nearly half a century, the verdict is in. Virtually every one of these policies has failed, even on their own terms. Enterprise has been richly rewarded, taxes have been cut, and regulation reduced or privatized. The economy is vastly more unequal, yet economic growth is slower and more chaotic than during the era of managed capitalism. Deregulation has produced not salutary competition, but market concentration. Economic power has resulted in feedback loops of political power, in which elites make rules that bolster further concentration. https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2019/08/neoliberalism-political-success-economic-failure.html

Fox News Host Neil Cavuto Tells Viewers Trump Is Wrong: ‘China Isn’t Paying These Tariffs. You Are.’ While taking questions on the White House lawn Friday afternoon, the president insisted Americans farmers are fully behind his trade war and support his latest tariffs on $300 billion worth of goods from China. “Remember this, our country is taking in billions and billions of dollars from China,” Trump exclaimed. “We never took in ten cents from China. Out of that many billions of dollars, we’re taking a part of it and giving it to the farmers because they’ve been targeted by China. The farmers, they come out totally whole.” Right away, Cavuto cut away from the president’s impromptu press gaggle to point out that, once again, Trump was not telling the truth when it came to who pays for tariffs. “I don’t know where to begin here,” the Fox News host said. “Just to be clarifying, China isn’t paying these tariffs. You are. You know, indirectly and sometimes directly.” https://news.yahoo.com/fox-news-host-neil-cavuto-211251762.html

S&P 500, Nasdaq close out worst week since December on trade worries. Wall Street extended its sell-off on Friday on renewed trade fears as the benchmark S&P 500 index and Nasdaq saw their worst weekly percentage plunges since December, when investors were spooked by the prospect of a looming recession. https://reut.rs/2MJYOkz

China threatens retaliation for Trump's planned tariff hike. China on Friday threatened retaliation if U.S. President Donald Trump's planned tariff hikes go ahead, while the renewed acrimony between the two biggest global economies sent stock markets tumbling. China's government accused Trump of violating his June agreement with President Xi Jinping to revive negotiations aimed at ending a costly fight over Beijing's trade surplus and technology ambitions. Trump rattled financial markets with Thursday's surprise announcement of 10% tariffs on $300 billion of Chinese imports, effective Sept. 1. That would extend punitive duties to everything the United States buys from China. If that goes ahead, "China will have to take necessary countermeasures to resolutely defend its core interests," said a foreign ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/china-threatens-countermeasures-trump-hikes-081241209.html

Oil plunges the most in 4 years after Trump's new China tariffs raise fears of a global slowdown. Crude oil plunged on concerns the global economy would weaken further after President Donald Trump ended a tariff ceasefire with China. The president said additional tariffs of 10% on the remaining $300 billion in Chinese goods would be added in September. Futures for WTI crude dropped 7.9% to $53.95. WTI broke a 5-day winning streak with its worst daily performance in more than 4 years. “The oil market has been the highest hit asset around from the trade war and this only exacerbates the situation,” said John Kilduff Founding Partner of Again Capital. https://cnb.cx/2yAYUCp

Trump Announces New 10 Percent Tariff on $300 Billion in Chinese Goods. President Trump announced Thursday that he will impose a 10 percent tariff on $300 billion in Chinese goods beginning September 1, further escalating the ongoing trade war between China and the U.S. at a crucial moment in their relationship. Trump announced the latest tariffs on Twitter days after high-level talks between Chinese and American negotiations resumed in Shanghai following a nearly two-month hiatus. https://news.yahoo.com/trump-announces-ten-percent-tariff-180752302.html

American farmer: Trump 'took away all of our markets'. “This trade thing is what’s brought on by the president and it’s really frustrating because he took away all of our markets,” Bob Nuylen, a farmer from North Dakota who grows spring wheat and sunflowers, told Yahoo Finance. “We live in an area where we’re kind of in the middle of nowhere. It costs us a lot of money — over $1 a bushel to get our grain to markets.” Since trade tensions began in 2018, farmers have faced major financial challenges, since China was once a major U.S. agriculture buyer. And losing customers has become a major issue. Soybean farmers have been dealing with this, as China has turned to other countries like Brazil for soybeans. Nuylen said this is also happening for wheat farmers, as China has begun importing wheat from Russian regions. “All these countries went to different countries to get their grain,” Nuylen said. “How are we going to get the relations back with them to buy our grain again and be our customers?” https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trade-war-farmers-trump-markets-154935903.html

Trump warns China deal will get worse 'if & when' he's reelected. "The problem with them waiting ... is that if & when I win, the deal that they get will be much tougher than what we are negotiating now ... or no deal at all," Trump wrote on Twitter. "We have all the cards, our past leaders never got it!""We do not expect a written agreement between the two countries that would result in a reduction of existing tariffs until 2021, after the U.S. presidential election," Agathe Demarais, global forecasting director at The Economist Intelligence Unit, said Tuesday in an analytical note. "I think if China had their wish, they'd wait until after the election. They'll pray that Trump loses, and then they'll make a deal with a stiff — somebody that doesn’t know what they're doing," Trump said, referring to one of his Democratic rivals, former Vice President Joe Biden, and past presidents, including Barack Obama. https://politi.co/2GClzTt

Friday’s GDP report totally demolished Trump’s narrative about how he supposedly saved the economy. It turns out we didn’t reach 3 percent growth after all. In its annual data revisions, which also dropped Friday, the Commerce Department reported that the economy grew by just 2.5 percent or 2.9 percent in 2018, depending on exactly how you measure it. It also turns out that growth never actually hit 4 percent in the second quarter of 2018, which—despite being sort of meaningless—had been a point of pride for Trump. In short, goodbye, bragging rights. https://slate.com/business/2019/07/trump-gdp-report-economy.html via @slate

What's the deal with the U.S. dollar? From presidential tweets to corporate earnings reports, the U.S. dollar has been getting a lot of mentions recently. Earlier this month, President Donald Trump tweeted that the U.S. should “MATCH” the “currency manipulation game” he said China and Europe were playing in order to compete with U.S. companies. Members of the Trump administration, including Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin and Chief Economic Adviser Larry Kudlow, have been repeatedly asked about the dollar in interviews. Meanwhile, many U.S. companies said the strong U.S. dollar cut into their profits last quarter. https://www.marketplace.org/2019/07/26/whats-the-deal-with-the-u-s-dollar/

Winners and losers in the Trump-Pelosi budget deal. President Trump tweeted Monday night he was “pleased” to announce a budget deal that raises the debt ceiling and sets federal spending caps for the next two years. The $320 billion deal followed months of posturing and behind-the-scenes talks. It will add hundreds of billions to the deficit and represents the latest piece of evidence that Washington policymakers in both parties have turned away from any worries about the debt. https://thehill.com/policy/finance/454414-winners-and-losers-in-the-trump-pelosi-budget-deal

California housing market officially now ‘weak.’ Is it an early warning of recession? The once red-hot California housing sales market is officially now “weak,” state analysts say, but the year-long flattening does not necessarily suggest the state is headed toward an economic downturn. In a brief report issued Monday, the state Legislative Analyst’s Office weighed in on the latest California home sales trends, noting that homes sales statewide in June were down from the same month last year, and notably lower than historic norms. “Home sales were on a clear downward trend during the second half of 2018 and the beginning of 2019,” analysts wrote. “Sales seem to have stabilized in recent months and are no longer declining from month to month. https://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article232996597.html

Elizabeth Warren predicts economic recession 'maybe even by the end of 2020'. With an economy this vulnerable, we need to reduce the odds of the potential shocks that can send us into another downturn. That means Congress should eliminate the debt ceiling & the Trump administration should replace its trade-war-by-tweet with China with a coherent strategy. "The warning lights are flashing. Whether it’s this year or next year, the odds of another economic downturn are high. This time, though, we can head it off. Congress and regulators should act immediately," the senator from Massachusetts and Democratic 2020 presidential candidate tweeted Monday. https://washex.am/2JI0Q2y

If the economy is so good, why are some truckers doing so poorly? Is the economy to blame? Sure. But there’s something else behind the trucking industry’s woes: mismanagement. “With the drop in May, we see the shipments index as going from ‘warning of a potential slowdown’ to “signaling an economic contraction,” Donald Broughton, the author of the Cass Freight Index wrote in his study. “Bottom line, more and more data is indicating that this is the beginning of an economic contraction.” https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/jul/21/if-the-economy-is-so-good-why-are-some-truckers-doing-so-poorly

Minnesota trucking company abruptly closes, hundreds of employees left without work. "They said, 'come back' and I said 'why' and they said 'can't tell you, just come back," he said. "Then they said, 'we're done, get your stuff and go home.'" Habeck noted he was supposed to get paid on Friday but wasn't. He says he is owed about $2,400 still from the company in total. "I have a new truck I just bought. Don't know how I'm going to pay that," Habeck said. "I have car insurance, a family to feed and no health insurance now. I'd like to know what happened and give me my money I am owed. I worked for it-- it's stealing from me, basically." https://kstp.com/business/minnesota-trucking-company-lme-inc-abruptly-closes-hundreds-of-employees-without-jobs/5421344/

Deutsche Bank Highlights a Society at Risk. Yves here. This article broaches a very large issue, and it pains me to be able to offer only a few additional thoughts. I don’t think risk aversion is quite the right frame for why destructive conduct has become so pervasive. For instance, as we’ve documented, casual lying is pervasive at CalPERS even though nearly everyone below the CEO is a civil service employee. Generally speaking, that means they are hard to fire. At CalPERS, the motivation seems to be that a lot of people find lying to be much easier than doing things well. https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2019/07/deutsche-bank-highlights-a-society-at-risk.html

Trump vs. Obama on jobs. job growth has actually slowed under Trump. This isn’t necessarily a problem. The economy has created jobs consistently since 2010, with the peak coming in 2014, when companies created 3 million jobs, or 251,000 per month. During the last 12 months, employers created 2.3 million jobs, or 192,000 per month. During the first six months of 2019, the pace has slowed further to 172,000 new jobs per month. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-versus-obama-on-jobs-181449608.html

Adding to Planetary Alarm Bells, Top US Finance Official Warns Climate Crisis a Recipe for Global Economic Collapse. Demanding action from industries and government, a top federal regulator warned this week that the human-caused climate emergency poses a threat to the economy which rivals the subprime mortgage meltdown that led to the 2008 financial crisis. “As most of the world’s markets and market regulators are taking steps towards assessing and mitigating the current and potential threats of climate change, we in the U.S. must also demand action from all segments of the public and private sectors, including this agency.”
—Rostin Behnam, CFTC https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2019/06/adding-to-planetary-alarm-bells-top-us-finance-official-warns-climate-crisis-a-recipe-for-global-economic-collapse.html

Hiring by US businesses hits a record high. The total number of workers hired rose to a new high in April, according to Labor Department data released Monday. But despite this, the amount of available jobs still vastly outnumbers unemployed workers. https://cnb.cx/2X0N3vm

The US is no longer the world's most competitive economy. For the first time in nine years, Singapore replaced the U.S. as the world’s most competitive economy. The U.S. dropped down to third on the list, thanks to higher fuel prices, weaker high-tech exports, fluctuations in the value of the dollar and the fading impact of President Trump’s Opens a New Window. massive tax overhaul. Hong Kong, meanwhile, remained in second place. China was ranked fourteenth. https://fxn.ws/2EIbEe8 #FoxBusiness

Trump tax cuts did little to boost economic growth in 2018, study says. The U.S. economy’s strong 2018 performance happened without much health from the massive tax cut President Donald Trump ushered through the previous year, according to a study released this week. An in-depth look by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service indicated that not only did the rollbacks in business and personal rates have little macro impact, but they also delivered the most benefits to corporations and the rich, with little boost to wages. https://cnb.cx/2W96ORX

Farmers ride the gravy train as Trump boosts welfare to the Heartland. Between this year and last, U.S. farmers will receive about $27 billion in so-called aid because of the president’s damaging policies https://on.mktw.net/2YJyh9q

Where Obama beats Trump on the economy.Anybody looking for a clear winner won’t find one. Monthly job growth during Obama’s second term was higher than it has been under Trump, and the stock market performed better in both of Obama’s terms. But earnings, GDP growth and manufacturing employment have been better under Trump. Is it a draw? Maybe. But what the data really show is the economy recovering from a sharp downturn regardless of presidential policies. Job growth went from negative to slightly positive during Obama’s first term, as widespread layoffs abated and companies started hiring again. Since 2011, the pace of job growth has been consistently upward, with little change in the transition from Obama to Trump. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/where-obama-beat-trump-on-the-economy-152137162.html?

Trump's trade agenda on the verge of imploding. President Donald Trump is heading toward his 2020 reelection campaign with virtually nothing to show for his big trade promises — except for angry farmers and a jittery stock market. A long-sought deal with China appears to be falling apart this week, exposing businesses on both sides of the Pacific to more tariffs and steep losses for farmers. His new pact with Canada and Mexico is facing significant opposition in Congress even from Republicans, who are demanding that he lift steel and aluminum tariffs before they’ll vote on it. Deals with the European Union, Japan and Great Britain are also stalled by politics here and abroad. https://politi.co/2Q04Ixl

Trump pulls out rug from GOP on trade Senate Republicans feel that President Trump has once again pulled the rug out from under them on trade, leaving GOP lawmakers frustrated over their inability to influence the White House’s policy on an issue that could have major economic and electoral ramifications. Days after a group of Republican senators relayed to Trump at a White House meeting their concerns about trade tensions with Canada, Mexico, Europe and China, Trump over the weekend threatened new tariffs on China, escalating a fight with Beijing and rattling markets. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said after the stock markets closed Monday that higher tariffs on China will take effect Friday, shortly after negotiations with a trade delegation from China are due to resume later this week. Lighthizer’s remarks are likely to rattle markets after they recovered most of their losses Monday afternoon as Wall Street strategists cautioned that Trump’s tough talk is a negotiating tactic and a deal with China is still possible. The controversy over trade has come amid economic data released recently that demonstrates the U.S. economy is booming, which Republicans will lean into in the 2020 election. But some Republicans are worried that Trump’s actions on trade could boomerang and harm the economy. https://thehill.com/policy/finance/442387-trump-pulls-out-rug-from-gop-on-trade

With two tweets, Trump shatters historic calm in global markets. After weeks of warnings from many on Wall Street that price swings across global markets were too subdued, the American president’s threat to boost tariffs on China sent volatility soaring Monday. The VIX Index jumped as much as 46 percent, the most since the February 2018 volatility meltdown. S&P 500 Index futures slid 1.5 percent and the Shanghai Composite fell 5.6 percent, the most since February 2016. European shares also dropped. Whether they were a negotiating tactic or a sign of something more ominous, Trump’s tweets jolted markets that had been lulled in recent weeks by signs of progress in trade talks, a dovish turn by the Federal Reserve and better-than-expected corporate earnings. Investors who had grown accustomed to cross-asset volatility at or near historically low levels were once again forced to consider that all might not be smooth sailing. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-06/with-two-tweets-trump-shatters-historic-calm-in-global-markets via @markets

Deregulation is boosting productivity, which boosts wages. Deregulation is boosting productivity, which boosts wages. But what if a regulatory agency were added to this island economy? Suppose that this new agency, call it the Coconut Farming Protection Bureau (CFPB), was formed with the goal of making coconut markets work for consumers, responsible providers and the economy as a whole. Suppose the bureau then issued two new regulations for the coconut industry aimed at protecting the sustainability of the island’s coconut grove and the other at protecting the endangered Macaroon Loon that builds its nests in the coconut palms. The first rule requires Crusoe to measure and document the size of each coconut before it is harvested and the second requires documentation that any tree that is being harvested does not have a Macaroon Loon nesting in it. Without debating the virtue of the CFPB goals to protect the coconut industry and the Macaroon Loon, what impact would such regulation have on the output of the island economy and the productivity of Crusoe? https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/442200-deregulation-is-boosting-productivity-which-boosts-wages

Trump's 'Record Economy' Is Making Americans Miserable Of the 801 American adults surveyed, just 12 percent believed they’ve “benefited a great deal from recent growth in the US economy.” And while 31 percent indicated “they have received some benefit from the economic upturn,” 27 percent said that they haven’t been helped “much,” and another 27 percent said that they haven’t been helped “at all.” Just 18 percent of respondents said that Trump’s policies helped middle-class families a lot, and high earners were more likely to say the rising economy gave them a bump: 58 percent of people who make $100,000-plus a year said they’ve benefitted, while just 34 percent of people earning less than $50,000 per year and 42 percent earning $50,000 to $100,000 said they did. https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/597gdx/trumps-record-economy-is-making-americans-miserable

Trade war and sagging prices push U.S. family farmers to leave. Shuffling across his frozen fields, farmer Jim Taphorn hunched his shoulders against the wind and squinted at the auctioneer standing next to his tractors.After a fifth harvest with low grain prices, made worse last fall by the U.S.-China trade war, the 68-year-old and his family were calling it quits. Farming also was taking a physical toll on him, he said; he’d suffered a heart attack 15 months before.“We went through the bad times in the ‘70s and ‘80s,” said Jim, 68, broad-shouldered and stocky. “In some ways, this is worse.” Across the Midwest, growing numbers of grain farmers are choosing to shed their machinery and find renters for their land, all to stem the financial strain on their families, a dozen leading farm-equipment auction houses told Reuters. As these older grain farmers are retiring, fewer younger people are lining up to replace them. https://reut.rs/2PBMF0m

Trump on collision course with McConnell on spending. President Trump is on a collision course with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) over whether to work with Democrats on a spending bill. Trump has given the GOP leader some time to work with Democrats but doesn’t want the talks to drag on all year and lead to an agreement that would increase spending — and the budget deficit. McConnell, a longtime member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, has said he wants to try to pass regular spending bills before defaulting to a continuing resolution (CR). To Trump, the advantages of a yearlong stopgap are obvious. Any negotiation with Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Democrats is likely to increase spending, and that’s the last thing Trump wants ahead of his reelection effort in 2020. Trump doesn't want to risk being put in a position of having to sign a bill that further blows up the deficit, say sources familiar with the White House’s position. But McConnell, an ex-appropriator and dealmaker who faces a reelection race himself next year, wants to avoid a continuing resolution. He wants to strike a deal to raise defense and non-defense spending, along the lines of what congressional leaders agreed to in the late winter of 2018. https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/441066-trump-on-collision-course-with-mcconnell-on-spending

Populist economic frustration threatens Trump’s strongest reelection issue, Post-ABC poll finds. This sentiment runs the deepest among Democratic and independent registered voters, but also exists among a significant slice of Republicans. About 8 in 10 Democrats and more than 6 in 10 independents say the country’s economic system gives an advantage to those already in power, while nearly a third of Republicans share that view. https://wapo.st/2V07XKQ

Caterpillar shares fall after Deutsche Bank downgrade: 'Synchronized global growth has collapsed, the China Land Cycle is rolling over, ... Europe is slowing more than expected and the US is oversaturated with construction equipment,” Chad Dillard says.' https://cnb.cx/2K2Nf8h

Trump failed by his own trade metric. Pursue it further, and we’re doomed. If nothing else, the latest U.S. trade deficit — $621 billion in 2018 for goods and services — should give President Trump a lesson in the economics of trade. Trump has insisted that a successful policy requires a trade surplus (good) and the absence of a deficit (bad). That’s wrong, as many economists have argued. The economists are right. https://wapo.st/2TJTTne

Trump to delay China tariff hike due to ‘substantial progress’. "I will be delaying the U.S. increase in tariffs now scheduled for March 1," Trump said in the second of two tweets on the talks. "Assuming both sides make additional progress, we will be planning a Summit for President Xi and myself, at Mar-a-Lago, to conclude an agreement. A very good weekend for U.S. & China!" https://politi.co/2IAFB42

Signs that China's real-estate bubble will burst and take the economy with it. Payless. Charlotte Russe. Toys "R" Us. The chain store liquidations just keep coming, putting tens of thousands of workers out of their jobs. Is the retail industry about to collapse? Probably not, despite the rash of stories over the past two years heralding the death of physical stores. But the brick-and-mortar part of the sector sure isn't creating as many jobs as it used to. Much of this has to do with the rise of online shopping, which stood at 9.8% of all retail sales in the third quarter of last year, up from 3.6% a decade earlier. The truck drivers and package-pickers who deliver your brown boxes mostly fall into the transportation and warehousing sector. Although smaller overall, that industry has grown by more than 30% since the end of the last recession, compared to only about 9% for regular retail. https://boingboing.net/2019/02/16/systemic-risk-2.html

The Subtle Signal That the Bull Market Could Soon End. it's the unemployment rate trend that's the great predictor of a recession and not the unemployment rate itself. The unemployment rate is a lagging indicator of a recession. In other words, the rate goes up significantly only after a recession is in effect. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/subtle-signal-bull-market-could-140000986.html

The Economics of Soaking the Rich. What does Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez know about tax policy? A lot. https://nyti.ms/2GUnmWB

Proud Boys, Nazis, Charlottesville, Portland, MAGA hat

White nationalists shouting “RECLAIM AMERICA” through my neighborhood. This isn’t Charlottesville. This is Washington, DC. The group is called Patriot Front, and they’re marching near Union Station — Mike Valerio (@MikevWUSA) https://twitter.com/MikevWUSA/status/1226253885716803585 February 8, 2020

Patriot Front is led by Thomas Ryan Rousseau, a teenager living in the United States. Rousseau had previously taken control of Vanguard's web server and Discord channel several weeks prior to the Unite the Right rally, which Rousseau had participated in as the leader of Vanguard America's contingent. Following bad press associated with the rally, Rousseau left Vanguard and used the group's domain name to form Patriot Front as an ostensibly new group, although most members were former Vanguard members and rally participants. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriot_Front

2 Proud Boys Sentenced To 4 Years In Prison Over Gang Assault In New York. Maxwell Hare, 27, and John Kinsman, 32, were two of 10 Proud Boys arrested in the assault caught on camera in October 2018. Prosecutors slapped them with charges of attempted gang assault, attempted assault and rioting, declaring them the most vicious assailants that night. Their four-year sentence will include another five years of supervised release, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office confirmed to HuffPost. https://news.yahoo.com/proud-boys-sentenced-new-york.html

White Supremacist William Fears to Get Five Years in Prison. Fears attended the deadly “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August 2017. A video from Unite the Right shows Fears yelling: “Shoot! Fire the first shot in the race war.” Vice News wrote that Fears carried a flag representing the Texas chapter of Vanguard America, a white supremacist group. According to the complaint filed by Fears’ ex-girlfriend, he choked her less than two weeks before he, his brother Colton and Tyler Tenbrink traveled from Texas to Florida to attend a speech by white nationalist leader Richard Spencer at the University of Florida. A confrontation erupted between Spencer’s supporters and protesters, during which Tenbrink fired a shot into a crowd before getting into a vehicle with the Fears brothers. Tenbrink pleaded no contest and was convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He’s serving a 15-year sentence in a Florida jail. Colton Fears, who drove the car during the confrontation, pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to attempted first-degree murder. Authorities in Florida arrested William Fears, but prosecutors elected not to charge him because of a lack of evidence. He was then extradited to Texas on an out-of-state warrant for his arrest. - Southern Poverty Law Center https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2019/10/11/white-supremacist-william-fears-get-five-years-prison

Patriot Prayer leader Joey Gibson uses untraceable church to drum up legal defense funds. “Thankfully,” Gibson’s pitch continues, “’The Church of Faith and Freedom’ is helping us Christians by accepting donations on our behalf in order to legally fight back against this discrimination.” The church, according to its website, seeks to help “Preachers hit the streets by helping to protect them legally and financially” and allows people to give money to evangelists who are working in Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle and Tacoma. There is no record of such a church in California, Oregon or Washington, according to officials who oversee charities and non-profits in each state. Its website, registered in May, provides no address, contact information or list of staff. Online searches show the only reference to the Church of Faith and Freedom comes from social media accounts connected to Gibson or Patriot Prayer. Reached by phone Wednesday, Gibson declined to answer multiple questions about the Church of Faith and Freedom and his connection to it. “No comment,” he said. “What else do you want to ask?” https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2019/10/patriot-prayer-leader-joey-gibson-uses-untraceable-church-to-drum-up-legal-defense-funds.html

Judge won’t free extremists who attacked protesters at white nationalist rally in Charlottesville. U.S. District Judge Norman Moon ruled that Rise Above Movement members Benjamin Daley, Michael Miselis and Thomas Gillen haven't adequately shown that releasing them from custody wouldn't pose a danger to others. All three men pleaded guilty to riot conspiracy charges stemming from violence at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August 2017. In July, Moon sentenced them to prison terms ranging from 27 months to 37 months. A fourth member of the California-based group, Cole White, pleaded guilty to a riot conspiracy charge several months before the other three men. White, a California resident, has been free on bond since May while he awaits a November sentencing hearing. Prosecutors didn't object to White's release, but they opposed the bond requests by Daley, Miselis and Gillen, who are appealing the constitutionality of a federal anti-riot law. Wednesday is the deadline for the three men's attorneys to file their opening briefs with the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Daley, Miselis and Gillen all asked to be released to their parents' custody in California while the appeal is pending. https://www.pilotonline.com/virginia/vp-nw-charlottesville-extremists-judge-20190918-slgjjzmihzfslognovxtlfljvq-story.html

Jeff Schoep Sheds Neo-Nazi Past but Stays Loyal With Lawyer's Maneuvers. The NSM and its former leader, Jeff Schoep, are among more than 20 defendants in a federal civil suit stemming from the deadly “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August 2017. Other defendants include the Nationalist Front, an umbrella organization designed to unite various factions of the “alt-right” and racist movements. Hatewatch previously reported the ties between NSM and the Nationalist Front. Court filings in the civil suit allege Schoep and his attorney, Edward ReBrook, have used stalling tactics and legal maneuvers to delay the plaintiffs from receiving information their attorneys deem critical to proving their case. For example, the plaintiffs claim ReBrook has “obstinately refused to even inquire who else within the organization, beyond the former leader, possess responsive documents.” - Southern Poverty Law Center https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2019/09/11/jeff-schoep-sheds-neo-nazi-past-stays-loyal-lawyers-maneuvers

The Vancouver Sun published a nakedly white nationalist guest column citing a who’s who of far-right academics and racist think tanks by some dope who teaches geography at Mount Royal and they’ve now retracted it. Archive is here: http://archive.is/ulGJ4

Portland grand jury clears pair accused of pummeling man in MAGA hat outside of bar. Lenzner’s account came under scrutiny after video surfaced that appeared to show him threatening and picking fights with patrons at a different bar earlier in the evening. During that confrontation, Lenzner also said he served in the military — a claim he later admitted wasn’t true. http://s.oregonlive.com/YsUeN6e

Boston 'straight pride' parade dwarfed by large counter-protest. A controversial “straight pride” parade in Boston on Saturday drew more than 1,000 counter-protesters and a few hundred supporters. The rightwing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos was “grand marshal” of the event, for which a group calling itself Super Happy Fun America (SHFA) acquired a permit in June. In one confrontation with counter-protesters, a police officer pepper-sprayed several as the group tried to obey requests to make more space. Access to “straight pride” organizers was limited; one Boston police sergeant turned some media away despite viewing press credentials. Speakers at the SHFA event said repeatedly they planned to make it an annual event, and potentially hold some action on Christmas Day. At city hall, where the 19th-century Fur Elise played on the loudspeaker, the SHFA event organizer, John Hugo, said his organization was hoping to exercise its first amendment rights and was not anti-gay. Clad in a Captain America T-shirt, he said his attire was intended to troll the actor Chris Evans, who said organizers of the parade were homophobic. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/01/boston-straight-pride-parade-arrests?CMP=share_btn_tw

'Straight Pride Parade' in Boston draws counterprotesters and heavy police presence. The parade kicked off to the sound of “God Bless the USA,” with various floats displaying messages in support of President Donald Trump. A so-called "Straight Pride Parade" in Boston on Saturday drew as many counterprotesters as marchers in addition to a heavy police presence. The parade, which drew several dozen participants, kicked off at around noon to the sound of Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” with some floats displaying messages of support for President Donald Trump, with signs such as "build the wall," "Trump nation" and "Blue Lives Matter." https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/straight-pride-parade-boston-draws-counterprotesters-heavy-police-presence-n1048626 via @nbcnews

Heightened security in Boston for 'pro-straight parade'. "There are no racists in our group. You have to come to one of our meetings: it's like the United Nations," president John Hugo told AFP, defending the parade. Enrique Tarrio, a member of the all-male "Proud Boys" organization, which has been designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, is also due to attend. Super Happy Fun America's website says Saturday's march is to "spread awareness of issues impacting straights," describing heterosexuals as "an oppressed majority" in Massachusetts, the first US state to legalize same-sex marriage. https://news.yahoo.com/heightened-security-boston-pro-straight-parade-062515220.html

Right-Wing Brawlers Discussed a Hammer Fight While Being Filmed “I smacked one of them with a hammer a couple of times,” said one man aboard a bus leaving Portland. A large man in a Proud Boys shirt says the June 29 assault on Ngo happened because he ignored Proud Boys' offer of protection. "Andy Ngo was fucking told that if he wanted protection from the PBs [Proud Boys], he went in with us and he went out with us," he says. Why it matters: Ngo has claimed to be an independent journalist. It is increasingly clear he is coordinating his movements and his message with right-wing groups. On Aug. 26, The Portland Mercury published an allegation by a Vancouver infiltrator of the right-wing group Patriot Prayer. "There's an understanding," the man told the Mercury, "that Patriot Prayer protects him and he protects them." Ngo could not be reached for comment. https://www.wweek.com//news/courts/2019/08/28/right-wing-brawlers-discussed-a-hammer-fight-while-being-filmed/

Super Awkward for Right-Wing Blogger Andy Ngo to Make a Cameo in Video of Plot Against Antifa. Right-wing blogger Andy Ngo went from relative obscurity to a national conservative hero in the struggle against antifa after antifascists beat him up during a rally in Portland, Oregon, earlier this summer. But now video has surfaced of Ngo smiling and laughing with members of the far-right group Patriot Prayer shortly before they allegedly orchestrated an attack on a group of antifascists at a leftist bar in a separate incident in May. A female bar patron was knocked unconscious and said she suffered a fractured vertebrae. https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/d3apyv/super-awkward-for-right-wing-blogger-andy-ngo-to-make-a-cameo-in-video-of-plot-against-antifa

Man in MAGA hat clashed with different Portland bar crowd before his alleged assault, video shows. A man who said he was attacked outside a Portland bar for wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat while on a date with his wife had menaced and threatened patrons at a different bar earlier in the evening, according to the customer who captured the scene on video. “The second I locked eyes with him there was no doubt in my mind he was looking for a fight,” Michael Radosevich told The Oregonian/OregonLive on Tuesday. “Come outside and see what happens,” the man, identified as Luke Lenzner, says at one point. “No one wants to fight,” Radosevich and at least one other person can be heard yelling back. Lenzner eventually takes off. https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2019/08/man-in-maga-hat-clashed-with-different-portland-bar-crowd-before-his-alleged-assault-video-shows.html

The Proud Boys like to pretend the violent rallies they hold in city streets are patriotic, free speech affairs. But in new video, their leader shows his hand, admitting that his aim is to waste taxpayer money and fight. “We’ve wasted all their fucking resources to make this rally,” Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio said in video captured during the latest extremist rally held Saturday in Portland. “We want them to waste $2 million and we’ll do it again in two months.” https://www.huffpost.com/entry/proud-boys-rallies-portland_n_5d5e9882e4b0dfcbd4893ee5

Feds Arrest Neo-Nazi Trump Fan for Threatening to "Exterminate" Miami Hispanics. Washington state resident Eric Lin was not shy about his love for Adolf Hitler. According to a criminal complaint filed Friday, Lin enjoyed referencing the Third Reich in writing: He apparently sent a litany of Hitler-referencing death threats to a Hispanic woman in Miami and got himself arrested last week after he planned to wire a man $10,000 to beat her up, hatched a plot to kidnap her and stuff her in a plastic bin, and repeatedly vowed to kill every Hispanic person in the Magic City. "The time will come when Miami will burn to the ground — and every Latin Man will be lined up against a Wall and Shot and every Latin Woman Raped or Cut to Pieces," Lin allegedly wrote August 8. Lin, age 35, is originally from Clarksburg, Maryland, but was arrested Friday in Seattle and charged with making threatening communications online. Lin appeared in Seattle federal court for this first time this morning. He has not yet entered a plea. http://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/neo-nazi-eric-lin-threatened-to-exterminate-miami-hispanics-fbi-says-11247579 via @miaminewtimes https://twitter.com/jjmacnab/status/1163846964749824000

Portland rally: Proud Boys vow to march each month after biggest protest of Trump era. Portland saw its largest far-right demonstration of the Trump era on Saturday, as 500 rightwingers traveled from around the country to march back and forth across the city’s bridges, and briefly occupy a patch of its waterfront. By making extensive accommodations for the unpermitted rightwing protest, including close police escorts, concrete barriers, and reopening a bridge to allow them to leave the downtown area, Portland authorities succeeded in preventing head-on confrontations between it and a much larger counter-protest. The far right “end domestic terrorism” protest, organized by leaders in the “western chauvinst” Proud Boys fraternity, saw Trump supporters rub shoulders with more radical groups, including Three Percenters, a “patriot movement” militia group, and American Guard, who the Anti-Defamation League described as “hardcore white supremacists”. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/aug/17/portland-oregon-far-right-rally-proud-boys-antifa

Far-Right and Antifa Showdown Drew Over 1,000 Protesters. Thirteen people were arrested and police declared a “civil disturbance,” but there were relatively few skirmishes. Portland residents said that the far-right turnout — numbering around 500 — was the largest they’d seen in the Rose City during the Trump era. Attendees included Proud Boys — many clad in their trademark black-and-gold Fred Perry shirts with MAGA hats — members of the Pacific Northwest Patriot Prayer, and the American Guard, a white supremacist group. In the end, the rally didn’t result in the kind of violence that residents had feared. Instead, the day wound up resembling a giant, chaotic, cat-and-mouse game, with clusters of antifascist protesters dodging riot cops in an effort to confront fascists. At 11.00 a.m. sharp a convoy of school buses rolled up, and Proud Boy organizer Joe Biggs and a couple hundred other Proud Boys disembarked. The group spent about half an hour in the park, where they chanted “USA, USA,” and planted an American flag in the ground. They then marched across Hawthorne Bridge and assembled in a vacant lot on the other side of the Willamette River. At 12.20 p.m., Biggs, speaking into a megaphone, declared the rally over — and began organizing buses to shuttle attendees over state lines into Vancouver, Washington, for a cookout. Proud Boys put out a statement later on Saturday that sent a clear message to the famously liberal city: we’ll be back. “Antifa maintains a stranglehold on the Pacific Northwest locale,” they said. “The gathering was never about bringing carnage or violence to the City of Portland, it was about financially crippling the progressive hotbed until they take action against Antifa and showcasing the power of peaceful political action.” https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/9kewje/far-right-and-antifa-showdown-drew-1500-protesters

Proud Boys, Outnumbered By Anti-fascists, Get Police Escort After 30-Minute Rally. A few hundred fascists once again invaded Portland for a much-anticipated rally Saturday, but this time were mostly deprived of the violent spectacle they crave, as a much larger group of anti-fascists made them know they weren’t welcome in this city. The fascists belonged to far-right groups including the Proud Boys, Patriot Prayer and the Three Percenters. And whereas at previous Portland rallies these groups have often confronted and attacked anti-fascist protesters, this time they were barely given the chance to do so. Upon arriving at Tom McCall Waterfront Park around 11.am. Saturday, they were kept separated from their foes by concrete barriers and a phalanx of police. Ultimately though, counterprotesters Saturday felt victorious. They’d amassed a giant, anti-fascist coalition, which can be mobilized to oppose future fascist rallies. And they’d developed new strategies. Many counterprotesters wore costumes to the rally. There was a person dressed as a unicorn and a brass band dressed as bananas. It was a tactic, a PopMob organizer told HuffPost, meant to disrupt the “toxic masculinity riot porn” the Proud Boys produce after these rallies for propaganda purposes. Whatever videos the Proud Boys might post from the day’s events, there’d be, for example, an anti-fascist dressed as a poop emoji in the background. “The social pressure and evolving diverse and incredibly fun tactics of PopMob; the seriousness of the Portland Police; and the number of city, civic and business leaders mobilized seems to have taken serious steam out of the white nationalist/alt-right protest,” Eric Ward, executive director at the Western States Center, a Portland-based civil rights group, wrote in a statement Saturday evening. “You are an amazing community Portland and you showed up this month and it mattered,” Ward continued. “Community and leadership made this happen and you showed up with a lot of both. Goodnight from the Rose City.” https://www.yahoo.com/huffpost/proud-boys-portland-rally-140528375.html

Proud Boys, Charlottesville, archive August 2019

Riotlandia: Why Portland has become the epicenter of far-right violence. PORTLAND, OREGON IS bracing for a storm of far-right violence. In July, Joe Biggs, a former staffer at the far-right conspiracist site Infowars announced an “End Domestic Terrorism” rally in Portland this Saturday. Its aim: the local antifa movement. Biggs, who’s encouraged date rape and punching transgender people, told followers on Twitter to bring guns, declared “DEATH TO ANTIFA!!!!!!”, displayed a spiked weapon saying that it “will be put to good use,” and posted memes about death squads murdering leftists before his account was suspended. The “End Antifa” rally organizers include Enrique Tarrio, chair of the violence-prone Proud Boys, which is designated as a general hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, and “Rufio Panman,” the alias of Ethan Nordean, a brawny street fighter whose knockout punch of an antifascist in Portland in June 2018 was used as a recruiting tool for the Proud Boys. This week’s rally was called after right-wing media personality and provocateur Andy Ngo was attacked in Portland on June 29 while filming a Patriot Prayer rally heavily outnumbered by antifa. A video shows him being punched, kicked, and hit with coconut milkshakes and silly string by masked individuals. https://interc.pt/30bqTF3 by @arunindy

Arrests precede major demonstrations in Portland, Oregon. Gibson, who is not involved in this weekend’s event but organized similar rallies in 2017 and 2018 that erupted in clashes, surrendered Friday on an arrest warrant for rioting. He was at a confrontation that broke out on May 1 outside a bar where members of the so-called “antifa” movement had gathered after a May Day demonstration. In a video he livestreamed on Facebook, Gibson accused the police of playing politics by arresting him and other right-wing members but not the masked demonstrators who beat up conservative blogger Andy Ngo at a June 29 rally. A video of that attack went viral and led the Proud Boys, who have been designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, to organize Saturday’s event. https://apnews.com/be42d98d7fd04bc6a4a598569492c2c8

Revealed: Republican lawmaker aided group training young men for 'biblical warfare'. The group ‘Team Rugged’ offers ‘patriotic and biblical training’ that includes instruction on how to use knives and guns. The Republican politician Matt Shea connected close allies with a group offering training to young men in “biblical warfare” that includes how to use knives, pistols and rifles, with lessons based in part on the teachings of a Georgia-based neo-Confederate pastor, emails obtained by the Guardian reveal. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/13/matt-shea-biblical-war-washington-team-rugged

How white supremacy went mainstream in the US: 8chan, Trump, voter suppression. The same anxiety that drives white supremacists has motivated Republicans to disenfranchise populations that don’t vote for them. efore he opened fire on an El Paso, Texas shopping center, killing 22 people and injuring dozens more, the accused gunman, Patrick Crusius, allegedly posted a manifesto online explicitly stating his motivation: he was trying to stop a “Hispanic invasion of Texas”. In April, another shooter attacked a synagogue in Poway, California, killing one woman and wounding three other people. In his a “manifesto” attributed to him, he claimed he was responding to the “meticulously planned genocide of the European race”. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/aug/11/el-paso-shooting-white-supremacy-8chan-voter-suppression

El Paso massacre upends white nationalists’ normalization strategy. The larger goal was what many white nationalists call “Phase 2” — gaining mainstream acceptance for far-right ideas widely rejected as repugnant and getting white nationalists into positions of influence. The normalization effort included softened rhetoric and social gatherings that, for many groups, would increasingly replace confrontational rallies. “The strategy is internally focused now — having families get together,” said alt-right blogger Brad Griffin, a self-avowed white nationalist from Montgomery, Alabama. He fondly recalled a river-tubing trip he organized in 2018 for friends who had attended a local white nationalist conference. The goal of such low-key gatherings, he said, is to spread far-right ideology away from the public spectacle of a public protest. “It’s a lot more fun to do that than to go out and tangle with Antifa” — members of America’s far-left “anti-fascist” movement — “and get hit with piss balloons in the street.” https://graphics.reuters.com/USA-WHITE%20NATIONALST/0100B0DQ0VQ/index.html via @Reuters

State Department suspends energy staffer linked to white supremacist group. The State Department has put on leave an employee of its energy bureau after reports that he has been an active member of a white supremacist group for more than five years, two sources familiar with the situation said on Thursday. Matthew Gebert, a foreign affairs officer for the department’s Bureau of Energy Resources, was linked to the Washington D.C.-area chapter of a white supremacist organization and published racist propaganda online, according to a report published Wednesday by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate speech. https://politi.co/2yOsKUl

$250 million lawsuit from Covington student against Washington Post dismissed by judge. A $250 million defamation lawsuit filed by Kentucky high school student Nicholas Sandmann against The Washington Post was dismissed by a federal judge on Friday afternoon. Judge William O. Bertelsman ruled that seven Washington Post articles and three tweets focusing on the Covington Catholic High School student, who became the center of a viral confrontation with a Native American elder in Washington, D.C., earlier this year, were protected by the First Amendment and deemed opinion. “Few principles of law are as well-established as the rule that statements of opinion are not actionable in libel actions,” Bertelsman wrote. “The statements that Sandmann challenges constitute protected opinions that may not form the basis for a defamation claim.” Sandmann’s suit characterized the Post’s coverage as libelous. The judge, however, cited case law that the statements made in the stories on Sandmann must be “more than annoying, offensive or embarrassing.” https://thehill.com/homenews/media/454968-250-million-lawsuit-from-covington-student-against-washington-post-dismissed

3 sentenced for violence at Virginia white nationalist rally. Benjamin Daley, Michael Miselis and Thomas Gillen each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to riot. The men were sentenced Friday in U.S. District Court in Charlottesville by Judge Norman Moon. Daley, 26, of Torrance, California, was sentenced to 37 months in prison. Gillen, 25, of Redondo Beach, California, received a sentence of 33 months. Miselis, 30, of Lawndale, California, received 27 months. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/article232872672.html

Proud Boys Rally Rocked by Sex, Cocaine Allegations. On one side of the fight: Navarro, a perennial challenger to Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) whose losing campaigns against the liberal stalwart have become a cause celebre on the right. On the other: the Proud Boys, the all-male group of self-described “Western chauvinists,” and DeAnna Lorraine, a self-styled MAGA relationship expert and Navarro’s ex-girlfriend. https://www.thedailybeast.com/proud-boys-rally-rocked-by-sex-cocaine-allegations

ANDY NGO ATTACKED! (IN CONTEXT)Proud Boys-friendly provocateur Andy Ngo went to a Proud Boys rally in Portland to film/harass people protesting the hate group. After repeatedly being told to back off & stop sticking a camera in their faces, things escalated and Ngo capitalized. — Pastor Vic Berger IV (@VicBergerIV) https://twitter.com/VicBergerIV/status/1147259553098022912 July 5, 2019

Tonight DC's #Antifa @DCDefend held a community gathering to speak about their plans for this coming week.Following Trump's event on the 4th, a "Free Speech Rally" on the 6th is expected to attract many of his high-profile supporters.Antifa intends to show up. — Ford Fischer (@FordFischer) https://twitter.com/FordFischer/status/1146252516029542400 July 3, 2019 DC Antifa Hold "Community Gathering" To Discuss July 6 Plans https://youtu.be/iGIHgbZFqrk

Man convicted in Charlottesville attack asks for "mercy". The Adolf Hitler admirer who plowed his car through a crowd of people protesting a white nationalist rally in Virginia two years ago, killing one person and injuring dozens, has asked a judge to show mercy and sentence him to a prison term shorter than a life sentence. Lawyers for James Alex Fields Jr., 22, said in a sentencing memo submitted in court documents Friday that he should not spend his entire life in prison because of his age, a traumatic childhood and a history of mental illness. “No amount of punishment imposed on James can repair the damage he caused to dozens of innocent people. But this Court should find that retribution has limits,” his attorneys wrote. https://apnews.com/edbefa173dd7480fb64697aae9a78dc4

Portland police Lt. Jeff Niiya shared doubts about Joey Gibson’s promises to be peaceful at protests, emails show. The Portland police lieutenant under investigation for his friendly text and email exchanges with right-wing protest leader Joey Gibson at one point told his supervisors that he had started to doubt Gibson’s promises to remain peaceful. Lt. Jeff Niiya shared his concerns as the Police Bureau was preparing for competing rallies planned for Dec. 23, 2017 -- Gibson’s March for Jesus event and Direct Action Alliance’s community feed and clothing drive. http://s.oregonlive.com/KZido2Q

Hate makes a comeback in the Pacific Northwest. In 2018, at least nine hate groups operated in the region of Spokane and northern Idaho, including Identity Evropa, Proud Boys, ACT for America and America's Promise Ministries. In late April, a self-described "American Nationalist" named Brittany Pettibone appeared at a meeting of Kootenai County, Idaho, Republicans to ask for help to bring her boyfriend, Martin Sellner, to the country from Austria. Pettibone, 26, said Sellner wants to marry her and live in Post Falls, Idaho. The Guardian published internet chats from 2017 in which a Washington state legislator and three other men discussed confronting "leftists" with a variety of tactics, including violence, surveillance and intimidation. James "Russell" Bolton, 51, faces at least six charges of extortion and attempted theft after he was arrested recently in West Virginia. Bolton has led a militia group called the Stevens County Assembly.The messages prompted Washington House Democrats to demand that the Republican lawmaker, Rep. Matt Shea of Spokane Valley, be reprimanded for a history of far-right speech and activities. While Shea did not propose violence, he did not speak up when violence was proposed, Democrats said. Hoover, the Gonzaga professor, said it is a mistake to consider all of the above as separate incidents. "These are movements," Hoover said, noting participants are not doing this alone. "They have interconnectedness over the internet." https://news.yahoo.com/hate-makes-comeback-pacific-northwest-144002397.html

Once Defiant, All Four White Supremacists Charged in Charlottesville Violence Plead Guilty. Guilty pleas last week by two prominent members of the Rise Above Movement came after pledges to fight federal charges and claims that those jailed were political prisoners punished for their controversial views. The men proclaimed their innocence, and their backers described them in social media posts as “patriots” and “political prisoners.” The gang, known as the Rise Above Movement and based in Southern California, set up an anonymous tip line for people to share evidence that might exonerate the imprisoned members, and it established a legal defense fund, with donations taken via PayPal and bitcoin. But in the following months, the men, one after the other, have pleaded guilty. Last Friday saw the final two guilty pleas, including one from Ben Daley, 26, one of the group’s leaders. He was joined by Michael Miselis, 30, a former Northrop Grumman aerospace engineer. The men pleaded guilty to conspiracy to riot. https://www.propublica.org/article/all-four-white-supremacists-charged-in-charlottesville-violence-plead-guilty

2 more Rise Above Movement members, from the South Bay, plead guilty to federal riot charges. Two prominent members of the Rise Above Movement – a white-supremacist group based in Southern California – pleaded guilty Friday to one count each of conspiracy to riot in connection with the August 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. Benjamin Drake Daley, 26, of Redondo Beach and Michael Paul Miselis, 30, of Lawndale entered their guilty pleas in U.S. District Court in Charlottesville. Each now faces up to five years in federal prison when sentenced in July, officials said. Two other members, arrested with Daley and Miselis in October, had already pleaded guilty: Thomas Walter Gillen of Redondo Beach and Cole Evan White of Clayton, California. https://www.dailybreeze.com/2019/05/03/remaining-2-rise-above-movement-members-plead-guilty-to-federal-riot-charges/

California man pleads guilty to riot conspiracy in 'Unite the Right' rally. Thomas Walter Gillen, 25, a member of the Rise Above Movement, a white supremacist group, entered the guilty plea on Monday in U.S. District Court, where he admitted traveling to rallies in California and Virginia with the purpose of committing acts of violence. Four members of the group were charged last October. In addition to Gillen, the other three were Benjamin Drake Daley, Michael Paul Miselis, and Cole Evan White. In November, White pleaded guilty. Miselis and Daley, who prosecutors say both traveled to Europe after the Charlottesville rally to meet with neo-Nazi and fascist groups and attended a festival in Germany celebrating Adolf Hitler's birthday, are being held without bond. https://www.whsv.com/content/news/California-man-pleads-guilty-to-riot-conspiracy-in-Unite-the-Right-rally-509213341.html

Rep. Matt Gaetz hires ex-White House aide ousted for white nationalist ties. “Very proud to have the talented Dr. Darren Beattie helping our team as a Special Advisor for Speechwriting. Welcome on board!” Gaetz tweeted Friday. Beattie was fired from the White House in August 2018 after reports that he had delivered remarks at a 2016 conference, dubbed an “active hate group” by the Southern Poverty Law Center, alongside a well-known white nationalist, Richard Spencer. Organizers of the event, the H.L. Mencken Club, described it as a gathering for the “independent-minded intellectuals and academics of the Right.” But the SPLC has described its attendees as “a band of white nationalists, pseudoacademic and academic racists.” https://politi.co/2vfviZC via @politico

Trump Supporters Now Claim He Didn’t Call Neo-Nazis ‘Very Fine People’. Trump supporters have seized on the idea that it’s unfair for the media to say Trump said there were ‘very fine people on both sides’ when referring to white supremacists. “What are your thoughts about President Trump’s remarks regarding the Charlottesville demonstration, where he’s quoted as saying ‘you also had some very fine people on both sides?’” Gohmert said. “The media has completely distorted the truth of that episode,” Klein replied. This is a surprising move, given that there are videos and transcripts of Trump original remarks. But Trump supporters, led by Dilbert creator Scott Adams, have seized on the idea that it’s unfair for the media to say Trump said there were “very fine people on both sides” when referring to the white supremacists. https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-surprising-push-to-rebrand-trumps-very-fine-people-remarks

Founder of Proud Boys sues over being labeled hate group. Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes sued the U.S. Southern Poverty Law Center on Monday for defamation after it labeled his organization a hate group, alleging the designation was aimed at getting him kicked off social media platforms. https://reut.rs/2Gu2BPR

Covington bishop apologizes to teen in face-off with Native American. In a letter to parents, the Most Rev. Roger Foys said the diocese was too quick to condemn the actions of the Covington Catholic High School students, particularly those of Nicholas Sandmann, the boy who was seen on video facing off with Native American elder Nathan Phillips as he performed the song "American Indian Movement" near the Lincoln Memorial. "We should not have allowed ourselves to be bullied and pressured into making a statement prematurely, and we take full responsibility for it," Foys wrote. "I especially apologize to Nicholas Sandmann and his family, as well as to all CovCath families who have felt abandoned during this ordeal." https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/bishop-apologizes-teen-who-faced-native-american-n963056 via @nbcnews

Kentucky bishop argues wearing MAGA hats not 'pro-life'. A Kentucky Catholic bishop argued that the Covington Catholic high school students at the center of a recent viral controversy after their confrontation with a Native American activist sparked outrage cannot be “pro-life” while supporting a president “who denigrates the lives of immigrants.” Lexington Bishop John Stowe wrote in an op-ed this week that as the leader of the Catholic Church in the 50 counties of Central and Eastern Kentucky he joins “the Diocese of Covington and other Catholic leaders in apologizing” for the actions of the group of Catholic students over the viral confrontation following their involvement with the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. “I am ashamed that the actions of Kentucky Catholic high school students have become a contradiction of the very reverence for human life that the march is supposed to manifest,” he continued. “As such, I believe that U.S. Catholics must take a look at how our support of the fundamental right to life has become separated from the even more basic truth of the dignity of each human person.” https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/427117-kentucky-bishop-argues-wearing-maga-hats-not-pro-life

Controversy over students mocking Native American strikes national chord. On the contrary, wrote Josh Marshall of Talking Points Memo, watching every available video “doesn’t greatly change the substance of what you see on the video, which is a middle aged Native American activist/elder beating a ceremonial drum in the face of what appears to be a bemused and cocky teenager while his classmates surrounding them, mostly wearing Maga caps, jeer and taunt the man with chopping motions.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jan/23/controversy-students-mock-native-american-strikes-national-chord

The Credibility of 'Our Boys'. Much like similarly sympathetic—and credulous—coverage of Kavanaugh, the segment granted Sandmann and his peers a wealth of credibility that their whiteness and class status secures them. It’s a necessary practice, the argument goes, because the alternative is unacceptable: “ruining” the life of one of our boys. As David French put it in the National Review, when he sees “activists” trying to “destroy” Covington boys, he thinks: “That could be my son.” He argues that it’s the same feeling conservatives get when they saw Kavanaugh and thought: “That could be me.” https://theslot.jezebel.com/the-credibility-of-our-boys-1831983535

The Covington Catholic boys harrassed my friends and I before the incident with Nathan Phillips even happened. I'm tired of reading things saying they were provoked by anyone else other than their own egos and ignorance 🤦🏼‍♀️ https://t.co/utdPFii92D @roflinds January 21, 2019

‘It was getting ugly’: Native American drummer speaks on the MAGA-hat wearing teens who surrounded him. Nathan Phillips, a veteran in the indigenous rights movement, was that man in the middle. In an interview Saturday, Phillips, 64, said he felt threatened by the teens and that they suddenly swarmed around him as and other activists were wrapping up the march and preparing to leave. Phillips, who was singing the American Indian Movement song of unity that serves as a ceremony to send the spirits home, said he noticed tensions beginning to escalate when the teens and other apparent participants from the nearby March for Life rally began taunting the dispersing indigenous crowd. A few people in the March for Life crowd began to chant “Build that wall, build that wall,” he said. https://wapo.st/2FAx1jD

Republican Rep. Steve King embraced white supremacy, and the media had no idea how to cover it http://mm4a.org/4d7

4 arrested after throwing paint-filled water balloons at protesters outside White House. Activist Jovi Val held a rally in support of James Alex Fields, the man who drove his car into a crowd in Charlottesville, Virginia, in the summer of 2017, killing Heather Heyer and injuring a number of other people. Val and his group were holding the rally to support “oppressed conservatives” across the U.S. | WTOP https://shar.es/aaFvhN via @WTOP

Video Shows Man in MAGA Hat Blasting Anti-Trump Protesters With Bear Repellent. After ten minutes of the groups exchanging taunts and chants then “everything went to crap,” police said. While some anti-Trump protesters were screaming and others scattered in an attempt to avoid the spray, the man in the MAGA hat went towards an anti-Trump protester who was being held on the ground by Trump supporters and sprayed him.
The video also shows that before the man in the MAGA hat was arrested, he pled with police, claiming anti-Trump protesters attacked him, calling them “fucking libtards” and “commies.” The video showed no such thing. https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/video-maga-hat-wearing-man-blasting-anti-trump-protesters-with-bear-repellent-901523/ via @RollingStone

House Democrats Just Demanded These Neo-Nazi Groups Be Prosecuted as International Terrorists. On Wednesday, New York Rep. Max Rose, who chairs the counterterrorism subcommittee, submitted a letter to the State Department, co-signed by 39 members of Congress. It urged the department to designate Azov Battalion (a far-right paramilitary regiment in Ukraine), National Action (a neo-Nazi group based in the U.K.), and Nordic Resistance Movement (a neo-Nazi network from Scandinavia) as terrorist organizations. “It’s clear that the threat we face today is of a self-radicalized gunman,” Rose, a Democrat, told VICE News. “Somebody who has been radicalized online, whether it’s in accordance with jihadi ideology or a global white nationalist, neo-Nazi group.” https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/59nqmq/house-democrats-just-demanded-these-neo-nazi-groups-be-prosecuted-as-international-terrorists

FBI Crackdown on Atomwaffen Division Heats Up With New Arrests. Two members of a Virginia cell and an active-duty soldier who belongs to an offshoot group have been charged in recent weeks. Other recent cases include the August arrest of Conor Climo, a former Army combat engineer and security guard charged with planning attacks on a synagogue and a bar with a largely LGBT clientele, and the Sept. 21 bust of Jarrett William Smith, 24, an Army soldier stationed in Kansas who is charged with sharing viable bomb-making instructions online and strategizing to attack Beto O’Rourke, CNN’s New York headquarters, and Antifa activists. The feds say Climo was affiliated with Atomwaffen Division and its offshoot, Feuerkrieg Division; Smith claimed membership in Feuerkrieg, according to an account on the messaging platform Telegram that was tied to Smith in court papers. https://www.thedailybeast.com/fbi-crackdown-on-atomwaffen-division-heats-up-with-new-arrests-13

Anti-Muslim Hate Group to Hold Gala at Mar-a-Lago. An anti-Muslim hate group that claims to have close ties to the White House is hosting its annual gala at President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort, with tickets starting at $1,500. ACT for America is going in a new direction with the Mar-a-Lago event in Palm Beach, Florida. The group has traditionally held its annual conference, including a gala, around Sept. 11 in the Washington, D.C., area. This year's ticket prices represent about a 400 percent increase over previous years, which ranged from $250 to $350. - Southern Poverty Law Center https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2019/10/04/anti-muslim-hate-group-hold-gala-mar-lago

Militia Movement Rhetoric Elevated to National Level. A weekend tweet by President Donald Trump mirrors the language of a militia movement that has been calling for civil war for at least three years and gives extremist groups a powerful seal of approval. On Sunday, Trump tweeted a comment that the Rev. Robert Jeffress made on “Fox & Friends Weekend” that same day. “....If the Democrats are successful in removing the President from office (which they will never be), it will cause a Civil War like fracture in this Nation from which our Country will never heal.” - Southern Poverty Law Center https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2019/10/03/militia-movement-rhetoric-elevated-national-level

Former U.S. Soldier Who Fought With Ukrainian Far-Right Militia Wanted For U.S. Murder. Craig Lang, 29, is one of two Army veterans implicated in the 2018 murder of a couple, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Florida, where the killing occurred. The case is one of a growing number involving former U.S. veterans and U.S.-based extremists and white supremacist groups who have cultivated ties with Ukrainian right-wing groups in recent years. Lang, who was being held in a jail in central Ukraine as of September 26, has also been linked to another U.S. soldier who was arrested on September 21 in Kansas, and who had asked Lang for help with traveling to Ukraine to fight for another right-wing paramilitary group. That soldier, Jarrett William Smith, is expected to make an initial court appearance in a Kansas federal court on September 26. According to the Florida criminal complaint, Lang and another former U.S. Army soldier, Alex Zwiefelhofer, were accused of robbing the Florida couple in 2018 and then killing them in an effort to get money to travel to Venezuela to "participate in an armed conflict against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela."

Hate on Display™ Hate Symbols Database. This database provides an overview of many of the symbols most frequently used by a variety of white supremacist groups and movements, as well as some other types of hate groups. https://www.adl.org/hate-symbols

Furries deplatform Milo. [Milo] registered for Midwest FurFest, a convention “to celebrate the furry fandom” hosted in the suburbs on Chicago this December. “Furries,” as they’re often called, are groups of people who have interest in animal personas with human characteristics; people who participate in the subculture often present themselves as non-human characters via art and costumes. Yiannopoulos also claimed on Telegram that he had submitted a form to suggest he host a panel called “The Politics of Fur.” He asked his followers who plan to attend Midwest FurFest to message him to arrange “dinner, drinks, photos or anything else.” After numerous complaints online, Midwest FurFest put out a statement on Twitter: “We have received a number of mentions and support tickets today – we assure all attendees that your safety is of the utmost importance and is not being ignored. We are investigating all concerns being relayed to us.” Among furs is a surprisingly large far-right contingent: virtually unsocialized men taking advantage of a social milieu that's vulnerable to exploitation and trolling. Furry fandom is a freebase microcosm of all that the internet dissolves and binds, and so here comes Milo, tearing for a last redoubt. https://boingboing.net/2019/09/16/furries-deplatform-milo.html

Three Percent Security Force’s Split Highlights Plague of Infighting. Chris Hill led the Three Percent Security Force for years, but it appears that the organization may be nearing its end. Six of nine chapters Hill led recently abandoned him, according to members’ posts on social media. Then those branches aligned with the leader of the group's Ohio chapter, Skylar Steward, a former member ousted by Hill. Together, they formed American Constitutional Elites. Hatewatch could not determine the status of the other three chapters. Michael Ubriaco, who uses the name Mike Rage on Facebook and belongs to the Three Percenter movement, commented about the perpetual upheaval. “Jesus christ!!!!!!! Here we go again,” he wrote in a Facebook post. “I love everyone but this is why I stay independent. This drama is too much, and the reason Patriots can’t get shit right.” Events of the last five years support Ubriaco's views about dissension within antigovernment militias. - Southern Poverty Law Center https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2019/09/06/three-percent-security-forces-split-highlights-plague-infighting

Former Marine said he’d ‘slaughter’ antifa. The FBI, using Oregon’s new red flag law, took his guns away. Shane Kohfield stood outside the home of Portland’s mayor in July wearing body armor and a “Make America Great Again” baseball cap, a large knife strapped to one shoulder and a copy of his concealed weapons permit displayed on the other. His protest activity, he said, has been limited to the event outside the mayor’s house and a right-wing rally last fall in downtown Portland, both organized by local conservative activist Haley Adams. he sent a letter to Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw. Kohfield told Crenshaw that Congress needed to take immediate steps to declare antifa a terrorist organization. Otherwise, he and other veterans would have no choice but to begin systematically killing antifa members “until we have achieved genocide.” Kohfield included a detailed outline of how he would carry out the mission, which he argued would be legally justified if the federal government refused to act. The U.S. Capitol Police shared the letter with the FBI’s Portland office, which assigned the case to a Clackamas County sheriff’s deputy serving on the area’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, court records show. Deputy Jeremy Stinson interviewed Kohfield and his father at their home in April, according to the court documents. Stinson learned Kohfield had served in the Marines and kept guns in the house. Kohfield told the deputy he would defend himself the next time members of antifa attacked him. http://s.oregonlive.com/uRVV9qU

A U.S. State Department official oversaw the Washington, D.C.-area chapter of a white nationalist organization, hosted white nationalists at his home and published white nationalist propaganda online, Hatewatch has determined. The official, Matthew Q. Gebert, works as a foreign affairs officer assigned to the Bureau of Energy Resources, a State Department spokesperson told Hatewatch. Online, and in private correspondences with other white nationalists, Gebert uses “Coach Finstock” as a pseudonym. Through that alias, he expressed a desire to build a country for whites only. “[Whites] need a country of our own with nukes, and we will retake this thing lickety split,” “Coach Finstock” said on a May 2018 episode of “The Fatherland,” a white nationalist podcast. “That’s all that we need. We need a country founded for white people with a nuclear deterrent. And you watch how the world trembles.” https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2019/08/07/us-state-department-official-involved-white-nationalist-movement-hatewatch-determines

“No One Really Knew Him”: Everything We Know About the El Paso Mass Shooting Suspect. Patrick Crusius traveled over 650 miles from his home in Allen, Texas, Saturday before walking into the Walmart store in El Paso armed with an automatic rifle and killing 20 people. The police have yet to confirm a motive for Crusius’s attack, but the 21-year-old is believed to have posted a hate-filled manifesto to an anonymous online message board 45 minutes before the shooting, citing his support for the New Zealand mosque terrorist and saying his attack “is a response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas.” https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/7x5z4a/el-paso-shooting-suspect-patrick-crusius

OFFICIALS SAY: Accused pro-nazi Cadet admits to running Twitter account. An ROTC cadet accused of operating a pro-Nazi and white supremacist Twitter account while at a North Carolina college has admitted the account was hers after enrolling in ROTC at a second school in the state, U.S. Army Cadet Command officials said this week. During an investigation into “online behavior that is not consistent with Army values,” Cadet Marth Gerdes of the University of North Carolina-Charlotte admitted to posting anti-Semitic, racist and anti-gay statements on Twitter, Maj. Dean Carter, a command spokesman, said Monday in an emailed statement. https://www.stripes.com/news/us/officials-say-accused-pro-nazi-cadet-admits-to-running-twitter-account-1.585628

Accusations in a Mirror: How the Radical Right Blames Rising Political Violence on the Left - Southern Poverty Law Center. Candace Owens, then communications director for the right-wing student group Turning Point USA, wrote off white nationalism as a fearmongering “election strategy” on the part of Democrats. “If they were really concerned about white nationalism, they’d hold hearings on antifa,” she told the committee. If you listened only to Owens’s testimony, you might never learn that the vast majority of extremist murders committed in 2018 were carried out by members of the far right who were steeped in white supremacist ideology. Or that the number of those murders is increasing. Or that many of the tech companies that control the online spaces where violent white supremacists become radicalized are failing to moderate hate content effectively, creating a fertile space for frustrated white men to become socialized into the world of hate. https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2019/06/11/accusations-mirror-how-radical-right-blames-rising-political-violence-left

Armed neo-Nazis at Detroit pride parade ‘wanted Charlottesville No. 2,’ chief says. Detroit Police Chief James Craig said neo-Nazis who interrupted the Motor City Pride Festival over the weekend intended on creating “Charlottesville No. 2.” The department has been under fire from some after video on social media emerged that seemingly showed police marching with members of the National Socialist Party. However, Craig on Monday applauded his department’s conduct, noting that its No. 1 goal was keeping the peace. http://s.mlive.com/0mioCJl

Judge Tosses All Charges in White Nationalist Rioting Plot. Members of the white supremacist group Rise Above Movement (RAM) were arrested on charges of plotting riots and inciting violence across the Golden State in 2017. One member of the group, Tyler Laube, pleaded guilty to the charge while the other three, Robert Rundo, Robert Boman and Aaron Eason were ordered released on Monday. https://www.courthousenews.com/judge-tosses-all-charges-in-white-nationalist-rioting-plot/

Trump ramps up war against 'political bias' with new social media reporting tool. The form urges users to post screenshots to back up claims of political bias and it also asks for the respondent's first and last name, zip code, phone number and their citizenship of residency status. - ABC News - https://abcn.ws/2JHb6s9

American Nazis protested a Holocaust remembrance event. A university's scholarship is part of the reason why. For the past five years, Joyce Griffis and Congregation Chaim B'Derech have held a Holocaust March for Remembrance in Russellville, Arkansas. It's always been solemn and peaceful. CNN sent protest organizer Billy Roper a number of questions in the days after the protest, but he has not responded. On his blog, he says he organized his group to protest what he called an "anti-Christian Holocaust Remembrance March." Controversy over the new scholarship at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville named for a now-deceased professor, Michael Link, has grown into a groundswell of opposition from the Anti-Defamation League and Jewish leaders. Link purportedly taught that Holocaust denial is a valid historical viewpoint. @CNN https://cnn.it/2E3iVF0

Andrew Neil: questions to Ben Shapiro were legitimate. The interview, which aired on Friday, became acrimonious as Neil robustly interrogated Shapiro about previous remarks such as “Israelis like to build, Arabs like to bomb crap”. Shapiro accused Neil of being a “lefty” and ended the interview prematurely. Shapiro later apologised for misinterpreting Neil’s “antagonism as political leftism” and conceded that he had been “destroyed” in the debate, adding he had not properly prepared for the interview. Josh Hammer, the editor-at-large of the Daily Wire channel, which broadcasts The Ben Shapiro Show, described the interview as a “hostile dredging up of nine-year-old (repudiated!) tweets” and questioned why Neil had not focused on Shapiro’s new book. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/may/12/andrew-neil-questions-to-ben-shapiro-were-legitimate

A short history of Turning Point USA's racism. Turning Point USA is often associated with the time its members wore diapers in an attempt at “triggering” liberals, but this should not be the only public failure the group is remembered for. The conservative organization, which focuses on increasing right-wing political influence on college campuses, has a long history of involvement in racist incidents that are now permanently linked to its name. http://mm4a.org/4DQ

The alleged synagogue shooter was a churchgoer who talked Christian theology, raising tough questions for evangelical pastors. Before he allegedly walked into a synagogue in Poway, Calif., and opened fire, John Earnest appears to have written a seven-page letter spelling out his core beliefs: that Jewish people, guilty in his view of faults ranging from killing Jesus to controlling the media, deserved to die. That his intention to kill Jews would glorify God. Days later, the Rev. Mika Edmondson read those words and was stunned. “It certainly calls for a good amount of soul-searching,” said Edmondson, a pastor in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, a small evangelical denomination founded to counter liberalism in mainline Presbyterianism. Earnest, 19, was a member of an OPC congregation. His father was an elder. He attended regularly. And in the manifesto, the writer spewed not only invective against Jews and racial minorities but also cogent Christian theology he heard in the pews. https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2019/05/01/alleged-synagogue-shooter-was-churchgoer-who-articulated-christian-theology-prompting-tough-questions-evangelical-pastors/

A Former Alt-Right Member’s Message: Get Out While You Still Can. If you remember Katie McHugh, it’s probably because of the tweets. A short selection: “British settlers built the USA. ‘Slaves’ built the country much as cows ‘built’ McDonald’s. Amateur…” “The only way to strike a balance between vigilance, discrimination, (& terror) is to end Muslim immigration.” "Funny how Europeans assimilated, unlike Third Worlders demanding welfare while raping, killing Americans." There are many more examples, but this is the big one, the one that ultimately triggered her firing from her job as a writer and editor at Breitbart News in 2017: “There would be no deadly terror attacks in the U.K. if Muslims didn't live there." https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/rosiegray/katie-mchugh

COMMENTARY: Radical Democrats hate the United States. Like I said, “Joe McCarthy wasn’t wrong, he was just early.” Joe McCarthy would have a field day with today’s Democrat politicians. He’d be a hero for defending America from evil, radical Marxist politicians posing as “Democrats.” We’d be giving him ticker-tape parades. The House Un-American Activities Committee served as a model for McCarthy in the Senate. Let me ask you bluntly: How much more un-American can you get than the ideas espoused just in the past few days by Democrats? Contact Wayne Allyn Root https://lvrj.com/post/1649064 via @reviewjournal

Rabbi Says Poway Shooting Victim's Funeral Will Be Most Difficult Of His Career. Oscar Stewart, 51, had been inside in the synagogue with his wife and stepdaughter. A veteran of both the Navy and the Army, Stewart confronted the gunman. “I was standing in the back and I heard the gunshot and into the lobby. I saw him and he fired two more rounds," Stewart said. "And I charged him at that point. He saw me and he dropped his weapon and he turned and ran." Normally, he said he sits in the front, which is why he said it was "God's will" he was in the back Saturday. Eventually, a member of the congregation, who is a border patrol agent in the El Centro Sector, ran out of the temple and began firing at the suspect. https://www.kpbs.org/news/2019/apr/29/rabbi-says-poway-shooting-victims-funeral-will-be-/ via @KPBSnews

Understanding the Alt-Right's Growing Fascination with 'Eco-Fascism' One name frequently cited by the #Ecofash is that of Ted Kaczynski; or as they affectionately name him, “Uncle Ted.” Otherwise known as The Unabomber, Kaczynski was a math-teacher-turned-terrorist who went on an 18-year bombing spree around the US between 1978 and 1996, killing three people and injuring 23 others. Kaczynski was radicalized after the land around his woodland cabin was bought by property developers. He saw himself as a Neo-luddite, fighting against the corporate world in favor of a more primitive lifestyle. Another key thinker on eco-fascism is the 86-year-old Finnish polemicist Pentti Linkola. A fisherman by trade, he believes that democracy doesn’t function and that the only way to prevent ecological collapse is to impose dictatorships that could force humans to be green. This would involve killing people en masse so as to avoid overpopulation—which he labels as the main cause behind the degradation of the planet. His ideology is summed up pretty well by the following quote: "What to do, when a ship carrying a hundred passengers suddenly capsizes and there is only one lifeboat? When the lifeboat is full, those who hate life will try to load it with more people and sink the lot. Those who love and respect life will take the ship's axe and sever the extra hands that cling to the sides." https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/vbw55j/understanding-the-alt-rights-growing-fascination-with-eco-fascism

Vandals Spray Graffiti On and Inside Several Cars in El Cajon. It happened in El Cajon in the early hours of April Fool's day along and near Cordial Road off the Lake Jennings Park Road exit. The next morning Denise Ruis saw her friend’s car, who is staying with them, covered with black and blue spray paint. All four tires were slashed. They even wrote President Trump’s name on the hood and wrote numbers in black paint on their fence. They have lived there for two years and have always felt safe until now. She said another neighbor a couple of houses down had the name “Trump” written in spray paint on his vehicle. https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Vandals-Spray-Graffiti-On-and-Inside-Several-Cars-in-El-Cajon-508151661.html via @nbcsandiego

Militias, MAGA activists and one border town’s complicated resistance, Arivaca, Arizona. Arizona Border Recon Founder Tim Foley. Shawna Forde, the leader of Minuteman American Defense, a militia that patrolled the Borderlands for migrants. they murdered Raul “Junior” Flores and his 9-year-old daughter, Brisenia. a tall redheaded conspiracy theorist named Michael Lewis Arthur Meyer, who often goes by Lewis Arthur. Bryan Melchior of Sandy, Utah who ran a group called the Utah Gun Exchange. Ben Bergquam, a California talk radio host with over 100,000 Facebook followers. ARIZONA BORDER RECON is a three-person organization composed of Foley, his girlfriend, Jan Fields, and a man named Lorenzo Murillo, who also lives in Arivaca. Montanan Ryan Payne and a California man named Gary Hunt recruited him to help establish an organization called Operation Mutual Defense, or OMD. Lewis Arthur’s Tucson-based group, Veterans on Patrol, Jim and Sue Chilton had nothing to do with Shawna Forde, but they are vocal about their support for Foley and Arizona Border Recon. - https://www.hcn.org/articles/us-mexican-border-militias-maga-activists-and-one-border-towns-complicated-resistance @highcountrynews

On Fox News, Dinesh D’Souza calls on Trump to use “force” and send the National Guard to college campuses to crack down on liberal protesters http://mm4a.org/4XQ

An article from Religion News Service -- which notes that it "is not a faith-based media organization, but rather a secular news service that covers religion, spirituality and ethics" -- said participants in the Pompeo briefing "were not told that the call was limited to faith-based media."
"While it was not clear which outlets were part of the call, questions were asked by Religion News Service, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Algemeiner, World Magazine and The Leaven, the newspaper of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. America Magazine also participated in the call," according to RNS.
On Tuesday evening, one of the participants shared a transcript of the call with the press corps. That transcript showed that Pompeo faced questions about the Israeli election, terrorism and the omission of the word "occupied" when describing the Golan Heights and the West Bank. https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/18/politics/state-department-faith-outlets-briefing/index.html

At UN, Trump focuses on religious freedom, not climate. Dallas-based pastor Robert Jeffress lauded Trump for focusing on religious freedom instead of climate change. “What president in history would have the guts to do what President Trump is doing?” Jeffress, who was set to be in the audience for Trump’s speech, said on Fox News. “And it’s this kind of leadership that is absolutely infuriating the president’s enemies. https://apnews.com/f2aa0a837c14476ab101e5da8483c652

In UN Speech, Trump Announces New Religious Freedom Initiatives. A number of evangelical leaders cheered his remarks, including Franklin Graham and Cissie Graham Lynch of Samaritan’s Purse, who attended the UN event in person. Trump called Graham “instrumental” and praised his involvement in disaster relief. Graham thanked the President for “shining a spotlight on this critical issue.” Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee president Ronnie Floyd, one of Trump’s evangelical advisors, also celebrated the UN speech in comments to Baptist Press. Trump announced plans for a first-of-its-kind coalition of US businesses that would take a proactive role to defend religious freedom. “This initiative will encourage the private sector to protect people of all faiths in the workplace,” he said. (The Trump administration has strengthened conscience protections for government employees, such as those who wish to decline participation in medical procedures such as abortions for religious reasons.) He did not offer further details on the business coalition or who would be involved beyond describing “great business leaders, great people of strength.” “Freedom of religion and belief can contribute to a rich pluralism that is itself associated with economic growth,” said Brian Grim, president of the Religious Freedom and Business Foundation https://religiousfreedomandbusiness.org/about, which organized a sideline meeting at the Harvard Club with US Ambassador at large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback. “Indeed, the active participation of religious minorities in society often boosts economic innovation.” Evangelical leaders like Tony Perkins, chair of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom and president of Family Research Council, defended the President’s religious freedom emphasis on Fox News, saying, “This is the president kind of putting down a marker ... advancing religious freedom. This is a step forward with very tangible markers in terms of protecting people of faith.” “Too often people in positions of power preach diversity while silencing, shunning, or censoring the faithful," Trump said. "True tolerance means respecting the right of all people to express their de eply held religious beliefs. “I ask all nations to join us in this urgent moral duty.” https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2019/september/trump-un-speech-religious-freedom-private-business-coalitio.html via @CTmagazine

President Trump repeats lie about protecting religious liberty for all - Freedom From Religion Foundation. Instead of participating in a world summit on climate change, today President Donald Trump convened a session on worldwide religious persecution at the United Nations, in which he demonstrated a fundamental lack of understanding of religious liberty. The speech at the UN’s Global Call to Protect Religious Freedom event was trumpeted as the first time a sitting U.S. president has given an address focused solely on “religious liberty” before the UN’s General Assembly. Vice President Mike Pence introduced Trump and a number of evangelical leaders were in attendance. Evangelical preachers Franklin Graham and Paula White were explicitly singled out for praise by Trump. Trump’s opening remarks repeated his Big Lie that “we’ve obliterated the Johnson Amendment in our country.” The Freedom From Religion Foundation sued Trump for claiming he had overturned that law via executive fiat. The Johnson Amendment prevents any 501(c)(3) entities, including churches, from engaging in partisan politicking. FFRF dropped the lawsuit after the Justice Department entered into court not once but twice an admission that Trump had not overturned the Johnson Amendment. The Johnson Amendment remains the law of the land. https://shar.es/aXzDFI

CBS News highlights increasing rates of anti-abortion violence and harassment. In a September 17 article, CBS News’ Kate Smith highlighted the increasing severity of violence and harassment against abortion providers, noting how continued use of sensationalized rhetoric contributes to this harmful trend. Despite right-wing media’s claims to the contrary, anti-abortion harassment is a serious and ever-increasing problem. The Rev. Katherine Hancock Ragsdale, interim president and CEO of the National Abortion Federation (NAF), told CBS News there has been “a dramatic increase in violence and disruption against clinics.” As CBS News explained: In 2017, violent acts against abortion providers more than doubled from the year prior, according to data compiled by NAF. The group recorded 1,081 violent acts, the most since the group began tracking these incidents. Last year, the group recorded another new record high: 1,369 reported violent acts, including 15 instances of assault and battery, 13 burglaries, 14 counts of stalking and over a thousand episodes of illegal trespassing. https://www.mediamatters.org/cbs/cbs-news-highlights-increasing-rates-anti-abortion-violence-and-harassment

King doubles down, says rape, incest should not be factored in to abortion decisions. He tweeted Saturday that fetuses developing from cases of rape or incest were "as precious as any other" and should be protected, "@RebeccaKiesslin of Savethe1 delivered a powerful statement to the entire nation for legal protection from abortion for innocent babies who were conceived in rape or incest. Their lives are as precious as any other, regardless of how they came to be," King wrote. “I am so grateful for his leadership,” Kiessling told the Standard of King's record in Congress, while adding that criticism suggesting that he was praising or minimizing rape was "absurd." “In a civilized society... we do not punish innocent people for someone else’s crime. That’s exactly what Congressman King said in his statement — the child does not deserve to die for the sins of the father," she added. https://thehill.com/homenews/house/458704-king-doubles-down-says-rape-incest-should-not-be-factored-in-to-abortion

Steve King’s View of Rape and Incest Is Not Abnormal Among GOP Lawmakers. King’s comments provoked outrage, but the underlying views are squarely in the GOP mainstream. “What if we went back through all the family trees and just pulled out anyone who was a product of rape or incest? Would there be any population of the world left if we did that?” King asked. (He was discussing his view that abortion should be illegal under any circumstance, including rape or incest.) “Considering all the wars and all the rapes and pillages that happened throughout all these different nations — I know that I can’t say that I was not a part of a product of that.” https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/steve-kings-rape-incest-gop-lawmakers-871751/ via @RollingStone

Christians Against Christian Nationalism. As Christians, our faith teaches us everyone is created in God’s image and commands us to love one another. As Americans, we value our system of government and the good that can be accomplished in our constitutional democracy. Today, we are concerned about a persistent threat to both our religious communities and our democracy — Christian nationalism. https://www.christiansagainstchristiannationalism.org/statement

Christian Student Group Claims Anti-Religious Discrimination at Wayne State University. The 75-year-old chapter had its student organization status revoked in 2017 and has since embarked on a legal crusade to protect the rights of Christians on campus. “Wayne State rightly allows fraternities to have only male leaders, female athletic clubs to have only female leaders, and African-American clubs to have only African-American leaders. But Wayne State cannot then say it is wrong for a Christian club to have only Christian leaders,” the lawsuit states. “Wayne State’s attempt to tell InterVarsity how to define its faith and select its leaders is anti-religious discrimination that violates clearly established federal and state law.” Within days of the lawsuit, Wayne State had reinstated the student group. But InterVarsity wasn’t finished—and has pushed ahead with the lawsuit anyway. Filed in U.S District Court in the Eastern District of Michigan, the case seeks a permanent injunction prohibiting “enforcement of Wayne State’s non-discrimination policy against InterVarsity based on InterVarsity’s practice of selecting religious leaders who share its faith” and unspecified damages for the group’s “loss of rights.” https://www.thedailybeast.com/intervarsity-christian-fellowship-claims-discrimination-at-wayne-state-university

Christian rightwing figures warn abortion fight could lead to civil war. Earlier this month, the Guardian revealed that the Washington state republican legislator Matt Shea had also speculated about civil war, and the “Balkanization” of America, predicting that Christians would retreat to “zones of freedom” such as the inland Pacific north-west, where Shea is campaigning for a new state to break away from Washington. Asked on a podcast if the two halves of the country could remain together, Shea said: “I don’t think we can, again, because you have half that want to follow the Lord and righteousness and half that don’t, and I don’t know how that can stand.” Shea has introduced a bill – unlikely to pass – which would criminalize abortion in the state. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/26/abortion-ban-rightwing-christian-figures-civil-war-predictions

How Kellyanne Conway influenced a new Trump rule cheered by religious conservatives. Polling done a decade ago by the senior White House adviser finds its way into a new federal rule cheered by religious activists. Late last week, the Health and Human Services Department unveiled a regulation that empowers doctors and other health workers to decline care that violates their beliefs. The 440-page rule cites Conway’s years-old polling, including another she conducted in 2011, a dozen times. No other surveys are cited more frequently — and no other data is more central to the Trump administration’s arguments. https://politi.co/2vL6IQN

Trump strengthens protections for religious health workers. The Trump administration Thursday finalized new rules making it easier for health care workers to refuse to provide care that violates their religious or moral beliefs, advancing a policy favored by anti-abortion groups and Christian conservatives closely allied with the Trump administration. The rules will protect "physicians, pharmacists, nurses, teachers, students and faith-based charities," President Donald Trump said during Rose Garden remarks noting the National Day of Prayer. "Together, we are building a culture that cherishes the dignity and worth of human life." https://politi.co/2PIhj8r

Trump visits border barriers near San Diego: 'This wall can't be climbed' President Trump touted the effectiveness of newly-constructed barriers as he toured the U.S.-Mexico border near San Diego on Wednesday, insisting, “This wall can’t be climbed.” “It’s a very powerful -- very powerful – wall,” the president, accompanied by border officials, said as he toured the Otay Mesa area. He also talked up how the barrier was designed to retain heat as a deterrent. “You can fry an egg on that wall,” he said. https://fxn.ws/2NmUc4P #FoxNews

Trump border wall may damage archeological sites: A 123-page internal NPS memo from July found that expanding an existing fence near Arizona’s Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument could harm artifacts from ancient Sonoran Desert peoples. It noted previous research that found archaeological sites “likely will be wholly or partially destroyed by forthcoming border fence construction.” Construction has already begun on converting a 5-foot vehicle barrier to the 30-foot-high border wall envisioned by Trump. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has sought to build at a quick pace in order to keep up with Trump’s campaign pledge of completing 500 miles of wall before the 2020 election. But at risk in the process are a number of well preserved pre-Colombian artifacts left in what used to be a well-traveled trade route that passes along a spring and wetlands that provide important habitat for area species. “We’ve historically lived in this area from time immemorial,” Tohono O’odham Nation Chairman Ned Norris Jr. told the Post. “We feel very strongly that this particular wall will desecrate this area forever. I would compare it to building a wall over your parents’ graveyards. It would have the same effect.” https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/461783-trump-border-wall-may-damage-archeological-sites-report

Projects defunded for border wall include buildings with 'life safety violations,' hazmat concerns. The U.S. Navy has been forced to stand down on construction projects meant to fix "life safety violations" and fire risks at dilapidated ship maintenance buildings and hazardous materials warehouses in Virginia after funds were diverted to pay for President Donald Trump's border wall. The pending construction projects at Norfolk Navy Shipyard are among 127 that the Pentagon has defunded to free up $3.6 billion in funding for fences and barriers on the southern border with Mexico using emergency powers. https://www.stripes.com/news/navy/projects-defunded-for-border-wall-include-buildings-with-life-safety-violations-hazmat-concerns-1.597869

.@realdonaldtrump has promised 400 miles of border wall by end of 2020. Here are the facts on what’s taking shape. Trump at times has seemingly acknowledged that what’s taken shape isn’t the extended mileage of barriers that his supporters and critics envisioned. "When we rip down and totally replace a badly broken and dilapidated Barrier on the Southern Border, something which cannot do the job, the Fake News Media gives us zero credit for building a new Wall. We have replaced many miles of old Barrier with powerful new Walls!" Trump tweeted July 22, and sent a similar tweet a day later. Overall, Trump has also been less vocal about Mexico paying for the wall, though in January he falsely claimed that Mexico would pay through a renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement. https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2019/aug/30/donald-trumps-border-wall-how-much-has-really-been/ via @PolitiFact

Wall, archived August 2019

concentration camps

Fox News's Shepard Smith pushes back on Trump: 'There's no new wall ... not true'. Fox News chief anchor Shepard Smith on Wednesday disputed President Trump’s recent remarks about border wall construction, saying on air that "there is no new wall." Smith's remarks were in response to a tweet from the president that said the wall is "going up very fast." "So far, despite the president's claims to the contrary, there is no new wall," Smith said. "Existing barriers have been replaced. Same span. The total of repaired barrier is about 60 miles along that 2,000-mile border." "The president also said in the tweet that the wall is going up rapidly. It is not. As we just reported, there's no new wall. Only replacement for walls which were in need of repair or upgrade. Those are the facts," Smith added. https://thehill.com/media/459302-fox-newss-shepard-smith-pushes-back-on-trump-theres-no-new-wall-not-true

Barr reverses ruling on asylum for those with persecuted family members. Attorney General William Barr on Monday reversed a 2018 immigration board ruling that found that a migrant whose immediate family member was persecuted in their home country may be able to claim asylum. The order is yet another hit to the United States' asylum laws and the most recent action taken by U.S. authorities in recent weeks that would affect asylum rules and procedures. In this latest decision, Barr effectively tightened a measure in the Immigration and Nationality Act that states a migrant can be granted asylum if they show they have been or will be persecuted because of “race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.” https://thehill.com/latino/455163-barr-migrants-with-family-members-facing-persecution-cant-automatically-claim-asylum

Trump takes hit from conservative commentators on border wall. A pair of prominent conservative personalities knocked President Trump on Monday over a report that asserted his administration has not constructed a single mile of new wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. The Drudge Report, an influential site run by conservative Matt Drudge, featured The Washington Examiner's report as its main story on Monday afternoon with the banner headline: "NO NEW WALL AT ALL!" Conservative commentator Ann Coulter took note of the headline and added her own barb at Trump. "I guess @realDonaldTrump is too chicken to call @DRUDGE a wacky nutjob," Coulter tweeted. https://thehill.com/homenews/media/454187-trump-takes-hit-from-conservative-commentators-on-border-wall

Trump has not built a single mile of new border fence after 30 months in office. In a statement last week, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the federal agency overseeing border barrier construction, confirmed that all the fencing completed since Trump took office is "in place of dilapidated designs" because the existing fence was in need of replacement. The agency said that it had built 51 miles of steel bollard fence with funding that was set aside during fiscal 2017 and 2018. But while the funding was meant both to replace outdated walls and to place barriers where there previously had been none, the government has only completed the replacement projects. The projects to secure areas with no fence are still in the works. https://washex.am/2JQsbhO

Pence’s Detention Center Visit Exposes Depths of Trump Administration’s Cruelty. “I was not surprised by what I saw,” the vice president said. “I knew we’d see a system that was overwhelmed”. Connelly and Ocasio-Cortez are right. Trump and Pence have made a significant departure from Obama Administration policy regarding the detention of migrants, keeping migrants detained beyond legal limits and systematically separating families. It’s a crisis of their own making and their proposed solution is to build more facilities instead of changing the policies that are keeping people detained in inhumane conditions. https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/pence-detention-center-visit-858668/ via @RollingStone

Perspective | Migrant children drew disturbing pictures of cages and bars. They also drew these bright scenes. https://wapo.st/32gg7yO

Acting homeland security secretary defends border conditions. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan on Sunday defended conditions at U.S. Border Patrol stations following reports of crowded and unsanitary conditions that have heightened debate about President Donald Trump’s immigration policy, a trademark issue for his re-election campaign. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he is stunned when administration officials say that reports on the conditions are unsubstantiated. “I’m just like, ‘What world are they living in?’” Merkley said, citing government and news reports. “From every direction you see that the children are being treated in a horrific manner. And there’s an underlying philosophy that it’s OK to treat refugees in this fashion. And that’s really the rot at the core of the administration’s policy.” https://lvrj.com/post/1705574 via @reviewjournal

President Trump on border facilities: "When people come in illegally and then it's crowded. And I've seen some of those places and they are run beautifully. They're clean. They are good. They do a great job." — The Hill (@thehill) "https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1147675347594428419 July 7, 2019

Nurses Say Border Patrol Is Delaying Treatment To Sick Immigrant Kids, With Dire Consequences. In the wake of at least five children dying in US government custody in the last nine months, two nurses told BuzzFeed News immigration agents have delayed taking sick children in increasingly dire condition to a hospital near the border for treatment, putting the kids at risk of potentially severe health issues. The two registered nurses, who have treated immigrant children at a hospital in the Rio Grande Valley, said young patients arriving in recent months are often in such poor health that they're "on the borderline" of medical staff needing to call a specialized rapid response team of doctors to prevent them from going into respiratory or cardiac arrest. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/adolfoflores/nurses-sick-immigrant-kids-border-patrol via @aflores

A few days ago, Alexandria and the team visited a series of detention camps run by the United States government, and what we saw was unconscionable.
As we walked from camp to camp, virulent racists protested our visit — screaming violent words, xenophobic insults, and racist defenses of their concentration camps. Officers with Customs and Border Patrol treated her, a Congresswoman, as if she were the enemy.
But that beginning was nothing compared to what we saw inside, even after the CBP had days to hide the worst of their injustices. Women had been left outside in the 100 degree heat for weeks, with no access to basic hygiene or adequate sleeping conditions.

A Congressional Tour of Border Patrol Stations Just “Went Off the Rails”. Customs and Border Protection officers told the delegation that they couldn’t take photos of the facility — though Kennedy said one guard tried to take a selfie with New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — or speak to detainees. The politicians managed to speak to a few migrants anyway, Kennedy said, and the conditions they described were horrific. “One cell had 13 women from Cuba that had been moved into the facility that morning. They were on sleeping bags — no pillows, no air mattresses,” Kennedy said of the Border Patrol station in El Paso. “The cell next door had about 10 people in it, including a 6-year-old boy and a pregnant woman from Cuba. They told stories of a lack of access to medication, a lack of information about what was going on.” On Twitter, Ocasio-Cortez said detainees were told to drink out of toilets — some facilities have combination toilet and sinks. Ocasio-Cortez said she spoke with several women at the El Paso facility, one of whom described the treatment there as “psychological warfare.” https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/vb98pa/a-congressional-tour-of-border-patrol-stations-just-went-off-the-rails

What Trump supporters think of family separations at the border. "To be perfectly honest, I'm angry at the parents," she said. "I feel very honestly that it's their fault that the children have been separated, because they're bringing them in illegally. And the other thing is, the law that has been put on the books was not put on recently. It was put on back many years ago, and I think very seriously that they need very firmly to say enough is enough." She faulted the media for using children to play on people's emotions. @CNN https://cnn.it/2llQQz9

What Has The U.S. Gained From Tariff Talks With Mexico? NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to White House trade adviser Peter Navarro about the negotiated tariff settlement between the U.S. and Mexico. NPR's Scott Horsley comments on the discussion. https://n.pr/31u7PTs Navarro ran unsuccessfully for office in San Diego, California five times. In 1992 he ran for mayor, finishing first (38.2%) in the primary, but lost with 48% to Susan Golding in the runoff. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Navarro

Acting DHS chief testifies about situation at border. Acting Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kevin McAleenan testified before Congress Tuesday about new migration figures from the U.S. border with Mexico. “In the last 40 days, 60,000 children have entered into DHS custody, both unaccompanied and as part of family units," McAleenan told the Senate Judiciary Committee. “Last month ... we encountered a modern record of 144,000 border crossers, a record day of over 5,800 border crossings in a single 24-hour period and the largest single group ever apprehended at our border, 1,036 individuals.” https://thehill.com/latino/447913-acting-dhs-chief-testifies-about-situation-at-border

Private border wall expands onto federal land, blocking access to historic site. On Monday, IBWC, accompanied by sheriff deputies, opened the gate and, according to Kuczmanski, told We Build the Wall that any tampering with the gate would be “considered trespassing and further action will be taken.” We Build the Wall reacted with outrage. The group called for the firing of Commissioner Harkins and mobilized supporters. Kolfage fulminated on his Twitter feed that the opening of the gate was due to the IBWC’s being “half owned by Mexico,” and Benvie live-streamed on Facebook that if the IBWC and the ACLU “want a war, they’ll get war.” https://interc.pt/2IwRxAE by @DebbieNathan2, @JordynRR

Mexican president on Trump immigration tariffs: 'America First is a fallacy'. Trump in a tweet on Thursday announced he was imposing a 5 percent tariff beginning June 10 on all Mexican imports “until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP.” The White House released a statement saying the tariff would increase by 5 percent each month until it reaches 25 percent. It’s unclear how the administration will measure Mexican progress on stemming migration. https://thehill.com/latino/446282-mexican-president-on-trump-immigration-tariffs-america-first-is-a-fallacy

Trump says U.S. to impose 5 percent tariff on all Mexican imports beginning June 10 in dramatic escalation of border clash https://wapo.st/2HNtgY8

https://goo.gl/maps/VYBBu7qQqzVkFCnc8 Private group says it's building its own border wall using millions donated in GoFundMe campaign. Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, who chairs We Build the Wall's advisory board, told CNN on Monday that the stretch of private wall connects two 21-mile sections of existing fencing. Jeff Allen told CNN he owns the property where We Build the Wall's team is working, and he's excited to see it. "They are doing an incredible job," he said. "I have fought illegals on this property for six years. I love my country and this is a step in protecting my country." Daniel Garcia Salinas, the director of a nearby museum on the Mexican side of the border, told CNN the new wall went up rapidly over the weekend, changing the horizon behind the Museo Casa de Adobe. Garcia said that when he had left the museum Friday afternoon there was no fencing there. By Saturday morning, he said, portions of new wall had been constructed. "They moved very quickly," he said. @CNNPolitics https://cnn.it/2HDO3NA

Privately funded organization 'We Build the Wall' starts construction of border barrier in El Paso area. Former Kansas Secretary of State, Kris Kobach, said on "Fox & Friends" Monday that the project was undertaken because there is a "ridiculously large gap" near Mount Cristo Rey that drug and human smugglers are taking advantage of. The barrier will be built on private land. Authorities in the El Paso Sector - which provides support for the counties of El Paso and Hudspeth in the state of Texas and the entire state of New Mexico - apprehends 930 people per day, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. https://fxn.ws/2HXc4Or #FoxNews

Trump administration will hire Cuccinelli for senior DHS border role. The Trump administration will hire conservative firebrand and former Virginia attorney general Ken Cuccinelli II to coordinate immigration policy at the Department of Homeland Security, three administration officials said Tuesday. Cuccinelli will work at DHS in a senior role and will report to acting DHS secretary Kevin ­McAleenan, while also providing regular briefings to President Trump at the White House, according two officials briefed on the appointment. https://wapo.st/2QeCiQp

All people that are illegally coming into the United States now will be removed from our Country at a later date as we build up our removal forces and as the laws are changed. Please do not make yourselves too comfortable, you will be leaving soon! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1129338665216430080

Since its creation in 1989, journalists, members of Congress, government agencies and researchers have seen Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) as a vital tool for watchdogging the federal government. The website compiles government data, received through systematic Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, and provides it free to the public and the press. But in early April, the organization hit a wall: Its requests for information about asylum and immigration cases weren’t getting through. High Country News spoke to TRAC’s co-founder, Susan Long. They said they are concerned about protecting individuals’ privacy within the data. And during the review, these concerns had come up. But this is anonymous data; there is no way to identify anyone. This is just statistical-type data, so you can’t identify an individual through the records. https://www.hcn.org/articles/immigration-watchdogs-hit-a-wall-in-accessing-once-available-immigration-data

The FBI Has Arrested The Leader Of An Armed Militia Detaining Migrants At The Border. Larry Mitchell Hopkins, 69, was arrested on a federal complaint charging him with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, the FBI said. He was arrested near the New Mexico border with the assistance of the Sunland Park Police Department. The arrest of Hopkins, who is referred to as "the commander" of the United Constitutional Patriots and goes by the alias Johnny Horton Jr., was hailed by New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas. “This is a dangerous felon who should not have weapons around children and families,” Balderas said in a statement. “Today's arrest by the FBI indicates clearly that the rule of law should be in the hands of trained law enforcement officials, not armed vigilantes.” The Flora Vista, New Mexico resident was previously arrested in 2006 in Klamath County, Oregon, facing charges for impersonating a peace officer and two charges of a felon in possession of a firearm, according to court records. He ended up pleading no contest to a charge of impersonating a peace officer and guilty to felony possession of a firearm. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/adolfoflores/militia-border-fbi-arrest-larry-hopkins-united via @aflores

The FBI arrested Larry Mitchell Hopkins, 69, for alleged unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition , days after his group posted videos that appeared to show armed men stopping migrants at the border in New Mexico, ordering them to sit on the ground and coordinating with US border patrol agents to have them taken into custody. Hopkins’ role in the group was unclear, and it was also not clear if he was facing any charges directly related to the videos of the men stopping migrants. The New Mexico attorney general’s office described Hopkins as a “dangerous felon who should not have weapons around children and families” and labeled him an “armed individual detaining migrants at the border”. https://gu.com/p/ba4fk/stw

White House proposed releasing immigrant detainees in sanctuary cities, targeting political foes. The White House believed it could punish Democrats — including Pelosi — by busing ICE detainees into their districts before their release, according to two DHS whistleblowers who independently reported the busing plan to Congress. One of the whistleblowers spoke with The Washington Post, and several DHS officials confirmed the accounts. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. Senior Trump adviser Stephen Miller discussed the proposal with ICE, according to two DHS officials. Matthew Albence, who is ICE’s acting deputy director, immediately questioned the proposal in November. “It was basically an idea that Miller wanted that nobody else wanted to carry out,” said one congressional investigator who has spoken to one of the whistleblowers. “What happened here is that Stephen Miller called people at ICE, said if they’re going to cut funding, you’ve got to make sure you’re releasing people in Pelosi’s district and other congressional districts.” The investigator spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect the whistleblower. https://wapo.st/2Ga7ziB

Trump bewilders GOP allies on immigration ahead of border visit. Trump will travel to Calexico, Calif., to tour the border on Friday on a West Coast swing that also includes 2020 campaign fundraising. The White House has not disclosed details of the trip. https://politi.co/2FOVkIq via @politico

Why Trump didn’t stop a GOP revolt on his border emergency. The president’s haphazard persuasion efforts led to an embarrassing rebuff on the Senate floor. It was also a reminder that White House aides have long acknowledged the futility of speaking for or negotiating on the president’s behalf, a position they are now openly conveying to lawmakers: passing along his tweets rather than attempting to twist arms or hash out a compromise themselves. https://politi.co/2TOHYVk via @politico

Demonstrators protest opening of new migrant shelter. Demonstrators gathered at the old San Diego County Family Court Building on 6th Street in Downtown, to protest the opening of a new temporary migrant shelter. "Americans First!" They said it's a reminder of priorities-- Americans or those just passing through. "It's like standing in the line at the grocery store, and somebody pushes you to the back of the line and goes in front. That's what these illegal immigrants are doing," Melinda Oporto of Make California Great Again, said. Oporto told 10News her son was in the military. But when he came back stateside, he became homeless. She expressed her anger as to why special services were being provided to migrants, and not to those who served the Country. https://www.10news.com/news/local-news/demonstrators-protest-opening-of-new-migrant-shelter-in-downtown

What is the humanitarian crisis at border? Trump calls wall only solution to ‘growing humanitarian crisis’ at border. Trump painted a harrowing picture of danger and death along the U.S.-Mexico border, describing undocumented immigrants as murderers, rapists and drug smugglers and arguing that a steel barrier — for which he is demanding that Congress appropriate $5.7 billion — is the only solution. https://wapo.st/2FgrnD5

TRUMP: "I don't think we have ever seen unity like this in the Republican Party. The media, which I call the opposition party, in coordination with the Democrats, they are not talking about the Democrats folding... I don't think there will be any break away [among Republicans]." https://t.co/x8thr8VsEl Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 10, 2019

Video of Trump sniffing. Trump doesn't declare a nat'l emergency & concludes by passing the buck: "To Congress, pass a bill that ends this crisis...This is a choice between right & wrong. Justice and injustice. This is about whether we fulfill our sacred duty to protect the American citizens we serve." https://t.co/DJHTkSXVrT @atrupar January 9, 2019

CBP Chief Forced To Explain Why ICE Raids Haven’t Targeted Trump’s Companies. Acting U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Mark Morgan on Sunday had to explain why sweeping immigration raids haven’t affected President Donald Trump’s companies despite multiple reports of those companies hiring undocumented immigrants. The Washington Post reported on Friday that even as Trump cracks down on immigration through harsh measures, Trump Organization itself currently has undocumented immigrants working on its construction sites. CNN’s “State of the Union” host Jake Tapper pointed out to Morgan that despite immigration agencies’ major increases in raids, including the ones in Mississippi last week that led to a record 680 arrests, there’ve been “zero raids” at Trump’s businesses. “It seems like you guys are turning a blind eye to this crime being committed by the President’s own companies,” Tapper told Morgan, who recently served as the head of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency before he was tapped as acting CBP commissioner in July. Morgan said he’s “never known anybody in law enforcement to turn a blind eye to someone that’s committing a crime.” When Tapper commented that it seemed like there haven’t been any investigations into Trump’s companies, the acting CBP commissioner said that “you can’t really say that for sure” because “there are investigations going on all the time that you’re unaware of.” https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/cbp-chief-explain-ice-raids-not-targeting-trump-companies via @TPM

US arrests 680 workers in immigration sting before Trump visits El Paso. Operation is largest of its kind in at least a decade and comes after shooting suspect railed against ‘Hispanic invasion’ Workers filled three buses – two for men and one for women – at a Koch Foods plant in the tiny city of Morton, 40 miles (64km) east of Jackson. They were taken to a military hangar to be processed for immigration violations. About 70 family, friends and residents waved goodbye and shouted, “Let them go! Let them go!” Later, two more buses arrived. A tearful 13-year-old boy whose parents are from Guatemala waved goodbye to his mother, a Koch worker, as he stood beside his father. Some employees tried to flee on foot but were captured in the parking lot. Workers who were confirmed to have legal status were allowed to leave the plant after having their trunks searched. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/aug/07/us-arrests-680-workers-in-immigration-sting-before-trump-visits-el-paso

ICE has held former Trump family driver in detention for 8 months: Zoltan Tamas, 38, of Romania previously worked as a driver for the Trump family and the president’s campaign staff during the 2016 election, according to The New York Times. At the time, Tamas had reportedly been a green card holder since legally immigrating to the country from Romania in 2011. However, Tamas was arrested by immigration authorities after he applied for U.S. citizenship in 2016 and was discovered to have had been convicted in absentia of committing insurance fraud in Romania following a background check, according to the Times. https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/436511-a-former-driver-for-the-trump-family-has-been-in-ice-detention

Did you hear that? It sounded like a twig snapping behind us. The Washington Post published an important, moving story on Wednesday about an undocumented immigrant named Juan Quintero who was employed by the Trump family for years—working particularly closely with Eric Trump at an upstate New York hunting property he co-owns with his brother, Don Jr.—but has now been laid off, seemingly for the sake of political optics, and left unable to support his family. It’s the latest in a series of reports that make clear that the Trumps were happy until very recently to systematically exploit the low cost of undocumented labor when it suited them, even as they complained publicly that illegal immigration is an infestation that is ruining America. https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/03/trump-sons-hunting-preserve-run-now-before-its-too-late.html via @slate

Run-up to War

This Media Post will serve as a reminder that war powers reside in the Congress under the United States Constitution. And that you should read the War Powers Act. And that you’re not a dictator. — House Foreign Affairs Committee (@HouseForeign) https://twitter.com/HouseForeign/status/1213953699371982853

Russia, China are the most pressing threats to ill-prepared US, report says. In its annual assessment of the U.S. military, the Washington-based Heritage Foundation, which wields influence with the Trump administration, said Russia and China showed “aggressive” behavior toward U.S. vital interests in 2018. But Russia was deemed the more urgent threat, due not only to frequent disinformation and hacking campaigns that are tied to the Kremlin but also because of its “formidable” and growing military capabilities. The Heritage Foundation ranks two categories – behavior and capability – in its annual assessment. “Aggressive” is the second-highest ranking in the behavior category, and “formidable” is the highest under capability. “From the Arctic to the Baltics, Ukraine, and the South Caucasus, and increasingly in the Mediterranean, Russia continues to foment instability in Europe,” the report said. “Its aggressive stance in a number of theaters, including the Balkans, Georgia, Syria, and Ukraine, continues both to encourage destabilization and to threaten U.S. interests,” it said. https://www.stripes.com/news/russia-china-are-the-most-pressing-threats-to-ill-prepared-us-report-says-1.605967

Trump: I could win Afghanistan war 'in a week'. “I have plans on Afghanistan that if I wanted to win that war, Afghanistan would be wiped off the face of the Earth,” the president continued. “It would be gone. It would be over in — literally in ten days. And I don't want to do that. I don't want to go that route.” https://politi.co/2JKa2TX

Mike Pence says West Point grads should expect to see combat. Vice President Mike Pence told the most diverse graduating class in the history of the U.S. Military Academy on Saturday that the world is "a dangerous place" and they should expect to see combat. "Some of you will join the fight against radical Islamic terrorists in Afghanistan and Iraq," he said. Pence congratulated the West Point graduates on behalf of President Donald Trump, and told them, "As you accept the mantle of leadership I promise you, your commander in chief will always have your back. President Donald Trump is the best friend the men and women of our armed forces will ever have." https://www.stripes.com/news/army/mike-pence-says-west-point-grads-should-expect-to-see-combat-1.583002

Trump officials brief a divided Congress on escalating tensions with Iran. Lawmakers were sharply divided Tuesday over whether Iran poses an imminent threat to U.S. interests or the Trump administration is exaggerating intelligence to lay the groundwork for war. Top administration officials briefed the House and Senate in two closed-door sessions for all members, presenting evidence that Iran may be poised to attack U.S. military and diplomatic personnel in the Middle East. But some Democrats said that none of the information showed Iran was appreciably more of a threat now than in the past, and they accused the administration of being ready to attack at the slightest provocation. https://wapo.st/2QbZe2E

Iran hits back at Trump for tweeting 'genocidal taunts'. “Goaded by #B_Team,” Zarif wrote on Twitter, in an apparent reference to Trump advisers such as John Bolton, “@realdonaldTrump hopes to achieve what Alexander, Genghis & other aggressors failed to do. Iranians have stood tall for millennia while aggressors all gone. #EconomicTerrorism & genocidal taunts won’t ‘end Iran’.” He added: “#NeverThreatenAnIranian. Try respect – it works!” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/20/iran-trump-tweet-genocidal-taunts

Anguish and Anger From the Navy SEALs Who Turned In Edward Gallagher. Video interviews and group texts obtained by The Times show men describing their platoon leader in grim terms. https://nyti.ms/2EU91FB

Navy proposes cutting future production of Arleigh Burke-class destroyers by 40%. The OMB memo pertains to what’s known as the Future Years Defense Program, which covers federal fiscal years 2021 through 2025, which begin Oct. 1, 2020 and end Sept. 30, 2025. It says the Navy has proposed buying a total of 42 warships over the five-year period at a cost of $111.8 billion, which would result in a reduction of 12 battle-force ships and $9.4 billion in funding for shipbuilding compared with President Trump’s fiscal year 2020 budget. https://www.stripes.com/news/us/navy-proposes-cutting-future-production-of-arleigh-burke-class-destroyers-by-40-1.612597

If Trump’s Rage Brings ‘Civil War,’ Where Will the Military Stand? The moment may come when soldiers have to choose between the Constitution and Donald Trump. No doubt most will embrace the Constitution. But some will see that as a tough call. The gulf between the civilian world and the military has been growing since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan—wars that have touched more American families than at any time since Vietnam. Vietnam created a huge cultural divide in the U.S. that Richard Nixon successfully exploited, earning him one of the largest electoral victories in American history. But something more sinister may be afoot as we approach the 2020 election. Trump has done what Nixon ultimately could not do. He has, so far, avoided real accountability to Congress. He has successfully blurred the lines between lies and truth in the minds of the American public. He has undermined the institutions that have kept the U.S. safe since World War ll. The extent of the visceral hatred much of the military feels for Democrats, the “deep state” and the “fake news media” is a new phenomenon. The belief that there is indeed a coup being orchestrated against President Trump is a weapon Trump has in his arsenal, depending how far down the road to authoritarianism he decides to go. But Trump would need to deeply fracture the military first, and that is something to watch for. Most members of the armed forces are honorable, patriotic Americans who would never take part in such a scheme, despite their support for Trump. But a significant portion just might. https://www.thedailybeast.com/if-trumps-rage-brings-civil-war-where-will-the-military-stand

Trump wants Gallagher trial prosecutors stripped of medals. President Donald Trump says he's directed the secretary of the Navy and chief of naval operations to "immediately withdraw and rescind" the Navy Achievement Medal from prosecutors who argued the case against a decorated Navy SEAL. Military jurors this month acquitted Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher in the death of a wounded Islamic State captive under his care in Iraq. Trump is complaining in a series of tweets that "Prosecutors who lost the case against SEAL Eddie Gallagher.... were ridiculously given" the medal. He says he's directed the navy chiefs "to immediately withdraw and rescind the awards." https://www.10news.com/news/local-news/trump-wants-gallagher-trial-prosecutors-stripped-of-medals

Pentagon Keeps Trump in the Dark About its Cyber Attacks on Russia. “Two administration officials said they believed Mr. Trump had not been briefed in any detail about the steps to place ‘implants’ — software code that can be used for surveillance or attack — inside the Russian grid. “Pentagon and intelligence officials described broad hesitation to go into detail with Mr. Trump about operations against Russia for concern over his reaction — and the possibility that he might countermand it or discuss it with foreign officials, as he did in 2017 when he mentioned a sensitive operation in Syria to the Russian foreign minister.” New laws, enacted by Congress last year, allow such “clandestine military activity” in cyberspace to go ahead without the president’s approval. So, in this case, those new laws are protecting American interests… by keeping the sitting president out of the loop. What a (scary) time to be alive. https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/pentagon-trump-cyber-attacks-on-russia-848695/ via @RollingStone

Trump says transgender people banned from military over drug use. The military doesn't prohibit service members from taking prescription medicines, including drugs prescribed for conditions such as depression and anxiety. The Navy, in fact, changed its policy late last year to allow pilots and other aircrew on such drugs to continue flying.Medical services specific to transgender people cost the military about $8 million between 2016 and February of this year, according to the Defense Department. About 1,525 troops had been diagnosed with gender dysphoria since July 1, 2016, when Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama, lifted a military ban on transgender people openly serving and allowed them to seek medical treatment. Total military spending for health care was estimated to be about $44 billion in fiscal 2018, according to the Pentagon's comptroller. https://www.stripes.com/news/europe/trump-says-transgender-people-banned-from-military-over-drug-use-1.584661

The Pentagon has told the White House that the U.S. military will not be politicized, a U.S. official said on Sunday, in response to a controversy after officials directed the United States Navy to keep the USS John S. McCain out of sight during a recent speech by President Donald Trump in Japan. https://reut.rs/2QGm96E

California congressman defends war crimes suspect. “Eddie did one bad thing that I’m guilty of too: Taking a picture of the body and saying something stupid,” the California Republican said at a border-issues forum in Ramona, Calif., according to the Times of San Diego. https://politi.co/2wkVPFs

These potential Trump pardons represent a potential existential threat to the military justice system. In order to better understand how to think about this controversial decision, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, the country’s leading veterans empowerment organization representing the post-9/11 generation of veterans, decided to ask its members about the pardons. A Marine veteran myself, I serve as IAVA’s director of communications and legal strategy. In a flash poll conducted this week, over 1,600 member veterans and military service members responded, from all different occupational specialties and across various services. Eleven percent of respondents are currently serving on active duty or in the National Guard or Reserves. While the majority of respondents disagreed with the president’s pardons (52 percent), a significant portion (40 percent) agree with the president’s pardons to service members who have already been convicted of war crimes. For those awaiting trial, the numbers are similar: 54 percent disagreed with the president’s pardons, and 37 percent agreed with them. https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/05/trump-war-crimes-pardon-memorial-day-veteran-response.html via @slate

Cruz warns 'Space Force' needed to prevent space pirates. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said this week that it was important to fund President Trump's proposed "Space Force" in order to prevent possible space pirates. “Since the ancient Greeks first put to sea, nations have recognized the necessity of naval forces and maintaining a superior capability to protect waterborne travel and commerce from bad actors,” Cruz, the chairman of the subcommittee on aviation and space, said at a hearing Tuesday. “Pirates threaten the open seas, and the same is possible in space. In this same way, I believe we too must now recognize the necessity of a Space Force to defend the nation and to protect space commerce and civil space exploration,” Cruz said. https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/443923-ted-cruz-says-space-force-is-necessary-to-prevent-space-pirates

Trump pardons former US soldier who killed Iraqi prisoner. Trump signed an executive grant of clemency, a full pardon, for former Army 1st Lt. Michael Behenna, of Oklahoma, press secretary Sarah Sanders said. Behenna was convicted of unpremeditated murder in a combat zone after killing a suspected al-Qaida terrorist in Iraq. He was paroled in 2014 and had been scheduled to remain on parole until 2024. https://www.stripes.com/news/us/trump-pardons-former-us-soldier-who-killed-iraqi-prisoner-1.579943

How Erik Prince used the rise of Trump to make an improbable comeback. An examination of Prince’s time working with the UAE in particular reveals suspicious financial transactions at a moment when his personal finances were under stress and his mercenary ventures were failing. The picture that emerges is one of a man desperately trying to avoid U.S. tax and weapons trafficking laws even as he offers military services, without a license, in no fewer than 15 countries around the world. https://interc.pt/2Jd7L3Q by @matthewacole

When it comes to counting dead civilians, the Pentagon has its own math. The Pentagon acknowledged killing 120 civilians last year in four countries, according to a report submitted to Congress on Thursday. The figure falls far short of estimates determined by nongovernmental organizations and advocacy groups, and suggests the US military is not close to accurately accounting for the toll of its military ventures abroad. “These numbers simply are not credible,” Hina Shamsi, director of the ACLUs National Security Project, said in a statement. “As the Trump administration doubles down on the secrecy of its killing of civilians abroad, Congress needs to continue exercising its oversight power.” https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/05/when-it-comes-to-counting-dead-civilians-the-pentagon-has-its-own-math/ via @MotherJones

Foreign Policy

Killing of ISIS leader has not hurt group's operations, says Iraqi Kurdish prime minister. Iraqi Kurdistan's prime minister says the U.S. killing of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has not affected the extremist group's ability to operate and is warning that the militants are resurgent. Masrour Barzani, also the region's security chief, said that the organization is "regrouping" and mounting attacks in northern and western Iraq. He spoke Saturday to The Washington Post on the sidelines of a security summit in the southern German city of Munich, where he said he had reiterated Kurdish concerns to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo when they met a day earlier. "His killing has not weakened the ability of ISIS to operate," Barzani said, using an acronym for the militant group, pointing to the ability of local cells to operate independently of the central leadership. "They have not stopped recruiting more people, they have not stopped attacking," he added. https://www.stripes.com/killing-of-isis-leader-has-not-hurt-group-s-operations-says-iraqi-kurdish-prime-minister-1.618962

Vladimir Putin: Russia has edge in new weapons.“Now we have a situation that is unique in modern history when they are trying to catch up to us,” he said. Putin said that the first unit equipped with the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle is set to go on duty this month, while the air-launched Kinzhal hypersonic missiles already have entered service. The Russian leader first mentioned the Avangard and the Kinzhal among other prospective weapons systems in his state-of-the-nation address in March 2018. Putin said then that the Avangard has an intercontinental range and can fly in the atmosphere at a speed 20 times the speed of sound. He noted that the weapon’s ability to change both its course and its altitude en route to a target makes it immune to interception by the the enemy. “It’s a weapon of the future, capable of penetrating both existing and prospective missile defense systems,” Putin said Tuesday. The Kinzhal, which is carried by MiG-31 fighter jets, entered service with the Russian air force last year. Putin has said that the missile flies 10 times faster than the speed of sound, has a range of more than 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles) and can carry a nuclear or a conventional warhead. The military said it’s capable of hitting both land targets and navy ships. The United States and other countries also have worked on designing hypersonic weapons, but they haven’t entered service yet. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported Tuesday that the military this year has received 143 warplanes and helicopters, 624 armored vehicles, a submarine and eight surface warships. He said that the modernization of Russia’s arsenals will continue at the same rapid pace next year, with 22 intercontinental ballistic missiles, 106 new aircraft, 565 armored vehicles, three submarines and 14 surface ships to enter duty. Putin noted that the work to develop other prospective weapons, including the Sarmat heavy intercontinental ballistic missile, the Poseidon nuclear-powered underwater drone and the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile was going according to plan. The Burevestnik has stoked particular controversy. The U.S. and the Soviet Union worked on nuclear-powered rocket engines during the Cold War, but they eventually spiked those projects considering them to be too hazardous. The Burevestnik reportedly suffered an explosion in August during tests at a Russian navy range on the White Sea, killing five nuclear engineers and two servicemen and resulting in a brief spike in radioactivity that fueled radiation fears in a nearby city. Russian officials never named the weapon involved in the incident, but the U.S. said it was the Burevestnik. https://politi.co/37cWM3n via @politico

Kremlin relishes US pullback from Syria, turmoil in Ukraine. In Syria, the U.S. military withdrawal leaves Russia as the ultimate power broker, allowing it to help negotiate a potential agreement between Syrian President Bashar Assad and the Kurds who were abandoned by Washington. And in Ukraine, where Volodymyr Zelenskiy, a comedian turned president, has found himself drawn into the U.S. political battles, Russia may use the volatility to push for a deal that would secure its leverage over its western neighbor. https://www.stripes.com/news/europe/kremlin-relishes-us-pullback-from-syria-turmoil-in-ukraine-1.602921

The president threatened a serving State Department official during his July 25 phone call with Ukraine's president. “She’s going to go through some things,” Trump said of the country's former ambassador.“She’s going to go through some things,” Trump said of Marie Yovanovitch, a veteran foreign service officer who served as the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine until May of this year. She departed from her post months earlier than expected after conservative media outlets and Donald Trump Jr. accused her of being part of an alleged Ukrainian attempt to support Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-threatened-an-american-serving-her-country-as-he-pressured-ukraine_n_5d8b9602e4b0c6d0cef53903

Bolton unloads on Trump’s foreign policy behind closed doors. The recently fired national security adviser made little secret of his disagreements with the president. John Bolton, President Donald Trump’s fired national security adviser, harshly criticized Trump’s foreign policy on Wednesday at a private lunch, saying that inviting the Taliban to Camp David sent a “terrible signal” and that it was “disrespectful” to the victims of 9/11 because the Taliban had harbored al Qaeda. Bolton also said that any negotiations with North Korea and Iran were “doomed to failure,” according to two attendees. https://politi.co/2IdpXcg

Plan for Taliban meeting latest bold Trump gamble to unravel. Trump’s secret plan for high-level meetings at the presidential retreat in Maryland resembled other bold, unorthodox foreign policy initiatives — with North Korea, China and Iran — that the president has pursued that have yet to bear fruit. Trump’s three high-profile meetings with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un — including the president’s recent brief footsteps onto North Korean soil — prompted deep unease from many quarters, including his conservative base in Congress. And while the meetings produced the ready-for-television visuals that Trump is known to relish, negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang have been stalled for months with no tangible progress in getting the North to abandon its nuclear weapons. https://apnews.com/bf2b42d5e86d466ab5f434d0f646bc72

Fox News' Chris Wallace Grills Mike Pompeo On Taliban Invite: ‘Who Thought It Was A Good Idea?’. The Fox News host questioned President Donald Trump’s attempt to host Taliban leaders at Camp David just days before the anniversary of 9/11. The secretary of state said the White House had reflected on the “history of Camp David” and felt it was “perfectly appropriate” to extend the invitation to the Taliban leadership. The Taliban, an Islamic militant group in Afghanistan, recently reiterated its support for the 9/11 attacks. “President Trump ultimately made the decision,” Pompeo said of the Camp David invite. “He said, ‘I want to talk to [Afghan President Ashraf Ghani], I want to talk to these Taliban negotiators, I want to look them in the eye.’” https://www.huffpost.com/entry/chris-wallace-mike-pompeo-taliban_n_5d7527dce4b07521022e4081

Trump administration wants to 'reset' relations with EU. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wants to "reset" Donald Trump's relationship with the EU, U.S. Ambassador Gordon Sondland told POLITICO on Monday. Pompeo, Trump's chief diplomat, arrives in Brussels Monday for a quick two-day visit, in which he will meet European Parliament President David Sassoli and the EU's incoming leadership team: Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen, Council President-elect Charles Michel, and the nominee for foreign affairs chief, Josep Borrell. But in a sign of how strained relations have become between Washington and Brussels over an array of issues, including Iran, trade and climate change, Pompeo will not see any of the EU leaders currently in office. Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker serves until November 1 and Council President Donald Tusk until December 1. https://www.politico.eu/article/trump-administration-wants-to-reset-relations-with-eu/

Bolton sidelined from Afghanistan policy as his standing with Trump falters. As the president's top aides prepared for a high-stakes meeting on the future of Afghanistan earlier this month, one senior official was not on the original invite list: national security adviser John Bolton. The attendance of the top security aide would normally be critical, but the omission was no mistake, senior U.S. officials said. Bolton, who has long advocated an expansive military presence around the world, has become a staunch internal foe of an emerging peace deal aimed at ending America's longest war, the officials said. His opposition to the diplomatic effort in Afghanistan has irritated President Trump, these officials said, and led aides to leave the National Security Council out of sensitive discussions about the agreement. https://www.stripes.com/news/us/bolton-sidelined-from-afghanistan-policy-as-his-standing-with-trump-falters-1.596737

North Korea berates Pompeo, says hopes for talks fading. A senior North Korean diplomat on Saturday berated Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over his comments describing North Korean behavior as “rogue” and warned that Pyongyang’s hopes for talks with Washington are fading. In a statement carried by state media, North Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui said Pompeo’s “thoughtless” comments increased North Korean people’s animosity toward Americans and made it harder for working-level nuclear dialogue between the countries to resume. https://politi.co/2ZKCWwk

US ambassador to Ukraine is recalled after becoming a political target. According to an internal State Department management notice, U.S. Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch will leave her post permanently on May 20, with no replacement in place and no nominations to fill that position. "We expect the Department to appoint a long-term Chargé d'Affaires to lead the mission until a new Chief of Mission is nominated and confirmed," said the notice, which was sent to all mission personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Kiev. Incoming Deputy Chief of Mission Kristina Kvien plans to arrive in Kiev on May 28, and Joseph Pennington will continue to serve as chargé d'affaires and acting deputy chief through the transition period, the notice said. The House Democratic leadership thinks that Yovanovitch's early departure under pressure is a clear sign that the White House is responding to calls from Trump allies, Trump family members and conservative media sites that have accused Yovanovitch of being part of a conspiracy that involves anti-corruption probes in Ukraine and efforts by the Trump team to investigate ties between Ukrainian officials and the Hillary Clinton campaign. "Ambassador Yovanovitch is a dedicated public servant and a diplomat of the highest caliber who has represented the United States under both Republican and Democratic administrations. The White House's outrageous decision to recall her is a political hit job and the latest in this Administration's campaign against career State Department personnel," said a statement released Tuesday morning by House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel, D-N.Y. "It's clear that this decision was politically motivated, as allies of President Trump had joined foreign actors in lobbying for the Ambassador's dismissal." https://www.stripes.com/news/europe/us-ambassador-to-ukraine-is-recalled-after-becoming-a-political-target-1.580654

Trump says John Kerry ‘should be prosecuted’ for meetings with Iranian officials. The president raised the issue during a freewheeling exchange with reporters after an event on health care at the White House, accusing Kerry of telling Iranian officials not to speak with members of the Trump administration. “I’d like to see — with Iran, I’d like to see them call me,” Trump said. “You know, John Kerry speaks to them a lot. John Kerry tells them not to call. That’s a violation of the Logan Act. And frankly, he should be prosecuted on that. But my people don’t want to do anything that’s — only the Democrats do that kind of stuff, you know? If it were the opposite way, they’d prosecute him under the Logan Act.” https://wapo.st/2vXfYS9

John Bolton and Mike Pompeo have gotten a lot of things wrong about Venezuela. Since Juan Guaidó, the opposition leader recognized by the United States and more than 50 other countries as Venezuela’s interim president, launched an unsuccessful military uprising last week to seize power from embattled dictator Nicolas Maduro, top Trump administration officials were quick to announce a decisive end to the conflict. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and national security adviser John Bolton are among Guaidó’s most outspoken international backers, but their depiction of fractures in Maduro’s inner circle and among the military have consistently been contradicted by what has unfolded in Caracas. Despite four months of relentless American pressure, Maduro, not Guaidó, occupies the Miraflores Palace, while ongoing clashes between protesters and Maduro’s allies have left four people dead and hundreds injured. Millions of Venezuelans are starving amid a severe economic crisis that was amplified in January by new US sanctions on the state-owned energy giant. The move did not precipitate Maduro’s swift ouster, as many high-ranking military leaders have remained loyal to him. “If someone tells you the military no longer wants Maduro, that’s really hard to maintain,” Andrei Serbin Pont, a Venezuela expert at an Argentine research group, tells Mother Jones. “The post-Maduro scenario doesn’t look good for them. They’ll be persecuted for human rights abuses.” https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/05/john-bolton-and-mike-pompeo-have-gotten-a-lot-of-things-wrong-about-venezuela/ via @MotherJones

EXCLUSIVE: Trump Admin Inflated Iran Intel, U.S. Officials Say. John Bolton and other Team Trump hawks are trumpeting intelligence that Tehran is readying attacks on U.S. forces. They’re exaggerating the threat, officials tell The Daily Beast. “It’s not that the administration is mischaracterizing the intelligence, so much as overreacting to it,” said one U.S. government official briefed on it. Another source familiar with the situation agreed that the Trump administration’s response was an “overreaction” but didn’t dispute that a threat exists. Gen. Qasem Soleimani—the head of the Quds Force, Iran’s covert action arm—has told proxy forces in Iraq that a conflict with the U.S. will come soon, this source noted. “I would characterize the current situation as shaping operations on both sides to tilt the field in preparation for a possible coming conflict,” continued the second source, who is also a U.S. government official. “The risk is a low-level proxy unit miscalculating and escalating things. We’re sending a message with this reaction to the intelligence, even though the threat might not be as imminent as portrayed.” https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-administration-inflated-iran-intelligence-us-officials-say

President Donald Trump initiated a lengthy call with his Russian counterpart on Friday, in which Vladimir Putin urged sanctions relief for North Korea and warned against interference in Venezuela, the Russian embassy in Washington said. The leaders’ call lasted for 1.5 hours, according to a post on the embassy’s Facebook page, and the pair discussed a “shared commitment to step up dialogue in various areas, including on issues of strategic stability.” White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Friday the leaders spoke for more than an hour. Very good call yesterday with President Putin of Russia. Tremendous potential for a good/great relationship with Russia, despite what you read and see in the Fake News Media. Look how they have misled you on “Russia Collusion.” The World can be a better and safer place. Nice! https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-04/russia-says-trump-initiated-friday-s-1-5-hour-call-with-putin

'Whimsical, uninformed': French ambassador's parting verdict on Trump. “When they say ‘America first’, it’s America alone,” Araud said in an interview with the Guardian. “Basically, this president and this administration don’t have allies, don’t have friends. It’s really [about] bilateral relationships on the basis of the balance of power and the defence of narrow American interest.” At 2am on the night Trump was elected, the ambassador tweeted: “It is the end of an era, the era of neoliberalism. We don’t yet know what will succeed it … After Brexit and this election, anything is possible. A world is collapsing before our eyes. Vertigo.” At 2am on the night Trump was elected, the ambassador tweeted: “It is the end of an era, the era of neoliberalism. We don’t yet know what will succeed it … After Brexit and this election, anything is possible. A world is collapsing before our eyes. Vertigo.” “My world, our world of certainties, really was collapsing and we were facing a real, substantial, dangerous crisis, which could basically really overwhelm my own country,” Araud said. “I believe we are entering a new era. I just don’t know what this era will be.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/apr/19/whimsical-uninformed-french-ambassadors-parting-verdict-on-trump

Trump wrote off novichok attack of defector as 'spy games' – report. Donald Trump was reluctant to expel suspected Russian spies after the novichok chemical weapons attack in Salisbury, viewing the poisoning of a defector as “part of legitimate spy games”, according to a new report. According to the New York Times, Trump reacted sceptically to a British request in March 2018 for a strong punitive response to the use of the nerve agent against the former spy, Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia. A local resident, Dawn Sturgess, was killed three months later when she came in contact with the chemical. It marked the first chemical weapon attack on European soil since the first world war. Trump is reported to have written off the attack as business as usual among spies – “distasteful but within the bounds of espionage”. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/apr/16/trump-novichok-attack-skripal-poisoning-spy-game

Egypt’s defection from Trump’s anti-Iran coalition shows how little faith U.S. allies have in the president’s strategy. The big failing in Trump’s policy in the region is that he doesn’t know what he wants, except to help Israel (which he isn’t doing, in the long run, by giving Netanyahu and his partners everything they want) and to crush Iran (which is harder than he imagines and which would likely lead to something worse). He has no strategy, only bluster, and Egypt’s breakaway makes that clearer than ever. https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/04/trump-middle-east-israel-egypt-iran-strategy.html via @slate

Pence hails 'remarkable, extraordinary' Trump tenure in attack on US allies. Describing the results of Donald Trump’s presidency as “remarkable” and “extraordinary“, the vice-president told senior European and Asian officials the European Union should follow the US in quitting the Iran nuclear deal and recognising the head of Venezuela’s congress, Juan Guaido, as president. “America is stronger than ever before and America is leading on the world stage once again,” Pence told officials at the Munich Security Conference, listing what he described as US foreign policy successes from Afghanistan to North Korea. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/feb/16/trump-presidency-mike-pence-allies

Homelessness

Trump administration sends team to LA for 'fact finding' on homelessness. There is no evidence that Trump did anything early in his presidency that “ended” any problem related to homelessness in the nation’s capital. http://via.kswbtv.com/0Borp via @fox5sandiego

September 10, 2019 Trump's reported California homeless takeover bewilders state, local leaders. A Washington Post report that the Trump administration is considering demolishing homeless encampments and moving unhoused people into government facilities caught elected officials here off guard. Mayors were left trying to determine if they were dealing with a speculative threat or the possibility of concrete, drastic action. https://politi.co/307FRLw

Trump says more information soon to be released about White House's... Asked whether he regrets calling the Vindman a “Never Trumper,” Trump told reporters on Saturday, “Well, you’ll be seeing very soon what comes out and then you can ask the question in a different way.” https://reut.rs/2C78YVS

BBC News - Trump says US and China to resume trade talks. "China called last night... said let's get back to the table. So we'll be getting back to the table," he said. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-494717

July 01, 2019: Trump: I may tackle homelessness because leaders 'can't be looking at that'. Donald Trump said he might “intercede” to “clean up” homelessness in San Francisco and Los Angeles, noting that world leaders “can’t be looking at that”. In a conversation with the Fox News host Tucker Carlson broadcast Monday evening, Trump called the situation “disgraceful” and implied that it was making police officers sick. “I’m looking at it very seriously,” Trump said of homelessness, according to a Fox News summary of the Carlson interview. “They can’t be looking at scenes like you see in Los Angeles and San Francisco,” Trump said, referring to world leaders. “We’re looking at it very seriously. We may intercede,” he added. The first two and a half years of the Trump administration have yielded few traces of action on the social policy front, apart from a criminal justice reform bill. Trump has repeatedly attacked society’s most vulnerable, including immigrants and refugees. Yet in his interview with Carlson, Trump appeared enthused about his plan to address homelessness. “When we have leaders of the world coming in to see the president of the United States and they’re riding down a highway, they can’t be looking at that,” Trump said of homelessness. “I really believe that it hurts our country.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jul/01/donald-trump-

Trump announces two-week delay to planned ICE deportations. President Trump announced Saturday that a planned mass apprehension of illegal immigrants by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is being delayed for two weeks, in the hope that a bipartisan solution to the border crisis can be reached. “At the request of Democrats, I have delayed the Illegal Immigration Removal Process (Deportation) for two weeks to see if the Democrats and Republicans can get together and work out a solution to the Asylum and Loophole problems at the Southern Border,” he tweeted. https://fxn.ws/2KE87Cn #FoxNews 11:56 AM - Jun 22, 2019

Mexico releases copy of letter touted by Trump. Trump on Tuesday had held up a single folded sheet of paper in front of cameras before leaving on a trip to Iowa, saying the paper represented an agreement between the U.S. and Mexico. The president declined to share any details about the letter. He has sought to sell the deal reached between his administration and Mexico amid reports it included actions Mexico had already agreed to take. "That’s the agreement that everybody says I don’t have," Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday while pulling the document from the pocket of his jacket. "This is one page of a very long and very good agreement for both Mexico and the United States," he added. https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/448689-mexico-releases-copy-of-letter-touted-by-trump

Trump taunts journalists with supposed one-page Mexico deal. President Trump teased a group of reporters on the South Lawn Tuesday by waving around what he said was a one-page deal with Mexico. “This is one page,” Trump said, taking a folded piece of paper out of his blazer pocket and holding it up for cameras to see. “This is one page of a very long and very good agreement for both Mexico and the United States. Without the tariffs, we would have had nothing." But Mexican officials have pushed back against some of Trump's claims, and news reports have questioned whether there was much new at all in the deal. Trump, however, has said the full deal has not been publicly announced, tweeting earlier Tuesday, "Biggest part of deal with Mexico has not yet been revealed!" When journalists pressed for more details on the piece of paper in Trump's pocket, he stated that the document “goes into effect when I want it to.” https://politi.co/2I9412w via @politico

Rep. Dan Kildee: "Many of us didn't think the president would ever really pull the trigger on these tariffs. He didn't define what success would look like, which is usually a signal that it was a false threat." — The Hill (@thehill) https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1137845576895217664

Trump erupts over immigration, threatening Mexico with tariffs. Trump said in a White House statement that the first round of tariffs would begin on June 10 at 5% "on all goods imported from Mexico." @CNNPolitics https://cnn.it/2HLPBVS

Trump has made clear repeatedly that he believes the U.S. should violate the Geneva Conventions. The New York Times reported this weekend that Donald Trump is considering granting pardons to a number of convicted and accused war criminals who are serving or have served in the U.S. military. One would involve the ongoing case of Navy SEAL Edward Gallagher, who is set to stand trial shortly on war crimes charges that include murdering a prisoner of war with a knife and shooting a young woman and an elderly man (both seemingly unarmed civilians) with a sniper rifle. https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/05/trump-war-crime-pardons-campaign-promises.html via @slate

President Trump’s trade war with China is approaching the one-year mark, with no end in sight. The two countries appeared close to a deal just a week ago after months of negotiations and reciprocal tariffs. But Trump ordered a steep increase in tariffs on Chinese goods after top Beijing officials reportedly backtracked on previous agreements with the White House. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Friday that a U.S. delegation concluded trade talks with top Chinese officials, but no deal was announced. The U.S. economy and Trump’s reelection campaign could face serious consequences if Washington and Beijing can’t resolve their trade spat. But the president said Friday there is “no need to rush” a trade deal with China. Five things to know about Trump's trade war with China https://thehill.com/policy/finance/trade/443160-five-things-to-know-about-trumps-trade-war-with-china

After the Mueller Report, we were supposed to get the Rudy Report. Rudy Giuliani, Trump's attorney, promised that he would release a document rebutting the results of Mueller's investigation. The Wall Street Journal talked to Giuliani about it on April 14: Just read this by @JuddLegum https://popular.info/p/the-rudy-report

PUNTED: Trump Walks Back Threat To Close U.S. Border, Giving Mexico A '1-Year Warning' https://n.pr/2TW4IyI

Thursday, March 28, 2019: Trump threatens to close the southern border next week, voicing heightened frustration with Mexico https://wapo.st/2U1dVuu

Trump Today: President signals openness to postponing tariff hike on China as talks continue. Trump told reporters at the White House he’d either strike a large trade deal with Beijing “or it’s going to be a deal that we’ll just postpone for a little while.” Negotiators met in Washington Wednesday and Thursday in an attempt to strike an agreement ahead of a planned increased in tariffs on Chinese imports on March 1. https://on.mktw.net/2RqznDf

Trump administration edits national stockpile website a day after it contradicted Jared Kushner. As of early Friday morning, the stockpile's home page had read: "Strategic National Stockpile is the nation's largest supply of life-saving pharmaceuticals and medical supplies for use in a public health emergency severe enough to cause local supplies to run out. When state, local, tribal, and territorial responders request federal assistance to support their response efforts, the stockpile ensures that the right medicines and supplies get to those who need them most during an emergency. Organized for scalable response to a variety of public health threats, this repository contains enough supplies to respond to multiple large-scale emergencies simultaneously." These sentences were gone as of Friday afternoon. In their place were new sentences that emphasized that the stockpile is meant as a temporary backup for states' own supplies. The revised page reads: "The Strategic National Stockpile's role is to supplement state and local supplies during public health emergencies. Many states have products stockpiled, as well. The supplies, medicines, and devices for life-saving care contained in the stockpile can be used as a short-term stopgap buffer when the immediate supply of adequate amounts of these materials may not be immediately available." https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/03/politics/stockpile-website-edited-kushner-claim/index.html

White House hits back at John Kelly over impeachment remarks. White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham confirmed Trump’s response, adding, “I worked with John Kelly, and he was totally unequipped to handle the genius of our great President.” https://politi.co/2WgFcah via @politico

Like So Many Of His Associates, Donald Trump's New Press Secretary Has Posed For Some Mug Shots. Like so many other Donald Trump associates--Manafort, Gates, Stone, Flynn, Cohen, Cohn, Papadopoulos, Weichselbaum, Pierson, Epshteyn, “Fat Tony” Salerno, etc.--the new White House press secretary has spent time posing for mug shots. Stephanie Grisham, who last month succeeded Sarah Huckabee Sanders, has a pair of drunk driving collars on her rap sheet. Grisham is pictured above in mug shots (click to enlarge) snapped following her 2013 and 2015 DUI busts in Arizona. Grisham, 43, was first nabbed for drunk driving in January 2013 in Gilbert, a town outside Phoenix. Grisham--who was driving on a suspended license--was pulled over for speeding while behind the wheel of an SUV whose other passenger was a tipsy 25-year-old man. Grisham’s second arrest came in December 2015 when she busted by Phoenix police. Grisham failed to appear at a court hearing in January 2016, prompting a City Court judge to issue an arrest warrant for her. As with her initial criminal case, Grisham pleaded guilty--this time to a DUI count. She was ordered to pay about $1500 in court costs and fines. Grisham’s July 2016 conviction came as she was working as a press aide for Trump’s presidential campaign. | The Smoking Gun http://www.thesmokinggun.com/buster/arizona/press-secretary-collars-162053 via @tsgnews

Exclusive: Giuliani associate linked to Yanukovych's stolen cash. Semyon Kislin, friend of Trump's personal lawyer, tried to obtain millions of dollars stolen from the Ukrainian state. Semyon Kislin, a business associate of Donald Trump who is due to give evidence at the US president's impeachment inquiry on October 14, tried to obtain millions of dollars that Ukrainian prosecutors deemed stolen, Al Jazeera can reveal. Kislin is a long-time friend of Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani. The Ukraine-born businessman donated to Giuliani's political campaigns in the 1990s. In January last year, Kislin lobbied the former US Ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, to help him unlock millions of dollars that had in fact been seized in a major criminal inquiry. This comes as the New York Times reported that federal investigators are examining Giuliani's efforts to undermine Yovanovitch as part of a broader campaign to pressure Ukraine into helping Trump's political prospects. @AJENews https://aje.io/yq5ul

AG Barr blames drug overdoses on secular society. Barr, in a speech largely focused on the role of religion in law, decried what he described as an effort to drive religion away while promoting secularism. "We see the growing ascendancy of secularism and the doctrine of moral relativism," he said. "Basically every measure of this social pathology continues to gain ground." He described several social issues as "consequences of this moral upheaval." "Along with the wreckage of the family, we are seeing record levels of depression and mental illness, dispirited young people, soaring suicide rates, increasing numbers of angry and alienated young males, an increase in senseless violence and a deadly drug epidemic. "Over 70,000 people die a year from drug overdoses," he added. "But I won't dwell on the bitter results of the new secular age." Barr also slammed "so-called progressives," saying that many are "among the militant secularists." A spokesman for the university told the South Bend Tribune this week that the topic of Barr's speech would be "religious freedom." https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/465472-ag-barr-blames-drug-overdoses-on-secular-society

Lindsey Graham dishes on Trump in hoax calls with Russians. But it wasn’t the Turkish defense minister at all. Instead, it was Alexey Stolyarov and Vladimir Kuznetsov, Russian pranksters with suspected ties to the country’s intelligence services who go by “Lexus and Vovan.” The duo have become notorious in recent years for their cold calls to unwitting, high-profile Western politicians, including Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, leading some to suspect that they’ve had help from the Kremlin, according to The Guardian. (A Schiff spokesman said at the time that the House Intelligence Committee “informed appropriate law enforcement and security personnel of the conversation.”) https://politi.co/33hNKjq via @politico

Two Key Players In The Ukraine Controversy Spent Lavishly As They Dug For Dirt on Biden. Bank records reveal a whirlwind of spending at high-end restaurants, an infamous strip club, and five-star hotels by the two little-known operatives who waged a back-channel campaign with Rudy Giuliani. For Lev Parnas, the Ukrainian American businessman who joined Rudy Giuliani in a back-channel campaign to unearth damaging information about Joe Biden, the money kept flowing. BuzzFeed News obtained unprecedented access to scores of bank records from private business accounts controlled by Parnas and his partner, Igor Fruman, as they carried out a campaign now at the center of the first presidential impeachment inquiry in a generation. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/mikesallah/ukraine-spending-trump-parnas-fruman via @BuzzFeedNews

Stephen Miller says Trump is 'real whistleblower' and calls complaint 'partisan hit job' in contentious interview. “The president of the United States is the whistleblower and this individual is a saboteur trying to undermine a democratically elected government,” Miller said, during a contentious interview on “Fox News Sunday.” Miller said that the whistleblower complaint “drips with condemnation, condescension and contempt for the president” and claimed that the intelligence community’s Inspector General had found evidence of political bias in the complaint. Miller also bucked when host Chris Wallace countered that the IG had found the report “credible and a matter of urgent concern." “They’re wrong,” Miller said. https://fxn.ws/2nEcRgP #FoxNews

Sen. Menendez stalls Issa nomination over fake ID flap from youth. Former GOP Rep. Darrell Issa’s confirmation hearing for a top trade position in the Trump administration was indefinitely delayed Thursday after Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Bob Menendez insisted on the release of an FBI background file that sources say shows Issa used a fake ID when he was 17. Issa, the colorful former chairman of the House Oversight Committee, was nominated a year ago to be director of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency. With the confirmation process at a crawl, he's already signaled he's ready to move on, creating an exploratory committee for a potential run against embattled Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif. The focus on the fake ID he used as a 17-year-old Army private raised eyebrows, considering Issa had a well-known history of run-ins with the law when he was a teenager involving more serious accusations. But, during the confirmation hearing on Thursday, Menendez, D-N.J., argued that the committee did not have access to the information needed to determine whether Issa could be confirmed to his post, and said there was “problematic” information from his FBI background investigation that could be “potentially disqualifying.” https://fxn.ws/2QjF4aK #FoxNews

Trump’s Acting National Security Adviser Once Tied to Group Known for Anti-Muslim Stance. Trump named Charles M. Kupperman the acting national security adviser Tuesday after John Bolton’s ouster. Bolton said he resigned, but Trump said he fired the controversial national security adviser. Kupperman served on the board of directors for the Center for Security Policy from 2001 through 2010, according to the group’s tax records obtained by ProPublica. Frank Gaffney Jr., an anti-Muslim conspiracy theorist, founded the center in 1988 and serves as its executive chairman. The Southern Poverty Law Center first designated the center a hate group in 2015, five years after Kupperman left the board. But while Kupperman was on the board, Gaffney and the center trafficked in anti-Muslim conspiracy theories and rhetoric, including questioning whether President Barack Obama was a Muslim. - Southern Poverty Law Center https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2019/09/11/trumps-acting-national-security-adviser-once-tied-group-known-anti-muslim-stance

How crooked is each member of Trump’s Cabinet? Let’s start with the transportation secretary, who is very, very crooked. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao. Chao, who is married to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and who previously served as George W. Bush’s labor secretary, faced back-to-back-to-back-to-back scandals this summer with a series of pieces about her and her husband’s various public grafts. First, at the end of May, the Wall Street Journal published a report that Chao had failed to divest her shares in a crushed stone, sand, and gravel company, which supplied construction materials to the transportation sector, a year after she had promised to do so. In the meantime, she had netted more than $40,000. (She has reportedly divested since the report came out.) https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/09/elaine-chao-trump-corruption-still-happening.html via @slate

FEMA official arrested on bribery, fraud charges from power restoration efforts in Puerto Rico. Federal officials arrested former Deputy Administrator Ahsha Tribble, who oversaw the FEMA region including Puerto Rico, and the former president of Cobra Acquisitions, Donald K. Ellison, accusing them of conspiring to defraud the federal government, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office. Tribble once mandated that the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) hire Cobra Acquisitions to attend to the damage from an explosion at a transmission center in order to receive FEMA funding for the project, the Times reported. Federal contracts provided Cobra with $1.8 billion to restore power in the country. Tribble's deputy chief of staff, Jovanda R. Patterson, was also arrested. https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/460724-fema-official-arrested-after-bribery-fraud-charges-during-power

A Brief Overview of the Reasons Don Jr. and Ivanka Reportedly Hate Each Other. But as Don’s visibility grew, the cold war between him and Ivanka intensified. Now that each had their own teams of allies and advisers, they had grown paranoid that the other’s henchmen were planting damaging stories about them in the press. A few days before the midterms, McClatchy published a story under the headline “Trump Kids on the Campaign Trail: Don Jr. Wows, Ivanka Disappoints.” Ivanka’s camp was enraged, and suspected that Don was behind the story. Later, Don confronted Ivanka over rumors that her team was undermining him in off-the-record conversations with reporters. “Tell your people to stop trashing me to the media,” he said, according to someone familiar with the conversation. (Spokespeople for Don and Ivanka disputed this account and denied that there is a rift between them.) https://theslot.jezebel.com/a-brief-review-of-the-reasons-don-jr-and-ivanka-report-1837978453

Air Force leaders order probe of Trump resort stays. Stopovers at Scotland airport have tripled since 2015 and overnight stays in the area are up five-fold. https://politi.co/2zXQ4Q7

Sarah Huckabee Sanders says she is 'relentlessly' attacked by women. You know, it usually depends on where I am in the country. Back home in Arkansas, things have been so far pretty easy and very welcoming,” she began, before adding: "But every once in a while, you always have somebody who comes up to say something nasty to you.” "Like what,” Doocy asked. "What I always find interesting is 99 percent of the people who come over to say something negative, and to attack you, are women. And I find that very startling from a group of people that claim to be the champions of women empowerment," Sanders said. "I am only the third woman and the first mom to ever be the White House press secretary," she continued. "And yet women attack me relentlessly, instead of being proud that we have more women doing those types of jobs." https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/460300-sarah-huckabee-sanders-says-she-is-relentlessly-attacked-by

White House officials attack Washington Post over 'media bias'. Stephanie Grisham and Hogan Gidley, the White House press secretary and deputy press secretary, respectively, on Thursday penned an op-ed in the Washington Examiner criticizing the Post for a Sept. 1 article that described “what some Trump advisers and allies characterize as a lost summer defined by self-inflicted controversies and squandered opportunities.”Grisham and Gidley wrote that the Post refused to cite the majority of Trump’s accomplishments from a list of 26 that was provided by the White House, and that writers Philip Rucker and Ashley Parker “pushed their own personal political narrative that President Trump had a ‘lost summer’ of squandered opportunities and few accomplishments.” The White House officials argued that the opposite is true. The Post article notes that White House officials offered up a list of over two-dozen accomplishments from summer 2019, but goes on to report that many of Trump’s advisers and allies privately described it as a “period of missed opportunity and self-sabotage.” https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/460246-white-house-officials-attack-washington-post-over-media-bias

Absolutely nobody turned up to support Mike Pence in Ireland. US vice president Mike Pence didn’t exactly receive a warm welcome on his official visit to Ireland, with videos showing not a single person turning out to greet him at his family’s ancestral home. While in Ireland, Pence stayed at Trump’s five-star private golf resort and hotel. Pence has connections with the local village, Doonbeg, which is where his great-grandmother grew up. https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2019/09/05/absolutely-nobody-turned-up-to-support-mike-pence-in-ireland/

The lonely tragedy of Tiffany Trump | Arwa Mahdawi. It’s hard to feel sorry for a Trump – but I’ll make an exception for Donald’s fourth child. The 25-year-old, for her part, appears to have responded to the drama in the most millennial way possible – posting a quote from Rumi, the ancient Persian poet, to her Instagram story on Saturday. “Study me as much as you like, you will never know me,” it read. “For I differ a hundred ways from what you see me to be … I have chosen to dwell in a place you can’t see.” Tiffany, by the way, normally dwells at Georgetown University law school. While we may never fully know her, we know she has dabbled in all the usual famous-child activities such as modelling and singing. In 2011, she released a single, Like a Bird, which is surprisingly catchy. Sample lyrics include: “Feel like I spot a bug crawlin’ through the liquid love / You kill and you tweeted me, baby you go beep-beep-beep” and “I just want serenity / While living it up.” And that, I think, is all we need to know about Tiffany. I hope whoever leaked Westerhout’s alleged comments is having a belated crisis of conscience. It’s true that Tiffany campaigned for her dad in 2016, so she isn’t a wholly sympathetic figure. However, she hasn’t courted the spotlight like her adult siblings and is not expected to join the 2020 campaign. If any of the Trumps deserve some serenity, it’s Tiffany. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/sep/03/tiffany-trump-flying-like-a-bird-above-the-hurtful-rumours

Trump's personal assistant fired after comments about Ivanka, Tiffany. Madeleine Westerhout, who left her White House job suddenly on Thursday as President Trump’s personal assistant, was fired after bragging to reporters that she had a better relationship with Trump than his own daughters, Ivanka and Tiffany Trump, and that the president did not like being in pictures with Tiffany because he perceived her as overweight. https://politi.co/30XYiDq

Trump's personal assistant resigns: NYT. According to the Times, Westerhout's resignation came after Trump reportedly learned that she had shared information on a recent working vacation about his family and Oval Office matters she was part of during an off-the-record dinner with reporters at hotels near the president's Bedminster, N.J., resort. The Times reported that Westerhout was immediately labeled a "separated employee" and would not be allowed to return to the White House on Friday after Trump reportedly learned of her alleged conversation with journalists. https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/459378-trumps-personal-assistant-resigns-nyt

Exclusive: Falwell steered Liberty University land deal benefiting... Around 2011, Falwell, president of Liberty University in Virginia, and his wife, Rebecca, began personal fitness training sessions with Benjamin Crosswhite, then a 23-year-old recent Liberty graduate. Now, after a series of university real estate transactions signed by Falwell, Crosswhite owns a sprawling 18-acre racquet sports and fitness facility on former Liberty property. Last year, a local bank approved a line of credit allowing Crosswhite’s business to borrow as much as $2 million against the property. Falwell, one of the most influential right-wing Christian leaders in the United States, has been buffeted by disclosures about his private dealings over the last year and a half. A Florida lawsuit brought public scrutiny to a relationship between the Falwells and Giancarlo Granda, a young man they befriended while he was working as a pool attendant at a luxury Miami Beach hotel and later backed in a business venture involving a youth hostel. Falwell filed an affidavit in 2018 saying he used his own wealth to lend $1.8 million to the $4.65 million project with Granda. And U.S. President Trump’s now-jailed fixer, Michael Cohen, has said he helped the Falwells suppress racy personal photos, as Reuters reported this May, in the months before Cohen persuaded Falwell to endorse Trump’s 2016 White House bid. There is no evidence that Cohen’s efforts to suppress the photos were a quid pro quo for Falwell’s vital political backing. https://reut.rs/2Zs52x3

David Koch’s most important legacy is the election of Donald Trump. He left a legacy of blocking health care for the most needy, polluting the environment & political system. https://interc.pt/2NxbStF by @lhfang

VA officials labeled recommendations from Mar-a-Lago members 'ridiculous': Staffers at the Department of Veterans Affairs blasted policy recommendations from members of President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club as “ridiculous,” according to documents released by a Washington, D.C. governmental ethics watchdog. In more than 300 pages of emails obtained by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) through a Freedom of Information Act request, career VA officials expressed frustration about having to entertain suggestions from Marvel Entertainment chairman Ike Perlmutter, attorney Marc Sherman and Palm Beach-area doctor Bruce Moskowitz. In one email, a senior department official tells staffers Sherman does not “understand the context of government nor does he understand the [app development] contract,” and that due to his presence, those involved in the process are “talking past each other.” Another email, responding to an official questioning how they should address “ridiculous” questions, advised the official, “They are coming from POTUS friend/doctor … Handle sensitively and with facts.” https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/458746-va-officials-labeled-recommendations-from-mar-a-lago-members

Trump’s new press secretary was arrested for DUI while working on the 2016 campaign during her rocky rise to the White House. She was arrested for driving under the influence, speeding, and driving with an invalid license in 2013, according to the report, and the charges were later reduced to reckless driving. Grisham was also arrested for driving under the influence in December 2015, ultimately pleading guilty. She paid a fine and was ordered by the court into a treatment program. she worked for the AAA auto club in Arizona as well as the ad agency Mindspace. Grisham reportedly left AAA after facing allegations of filing false claims for travel and other expenses and lost the job at Mindspace for plagiarism. Grisham is a fierce defender of the Trumps, but also represents a break from the traditional mold of her prestigious role in the White House. Grisham hasn't held an on-camera briefing since taking over in early July and does not appear particularly interested in engaging with members of the press. https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-press-secretary-arrested-dui-amid-work-for-2016-campaign-2019-8

Scaramucci assembling team of former Cabinet members to speak out against Trump. “I'm in the process of putting together a team of people that feel the exact same way that I do. This is not a ‘Never Trump’ situation, this is not just screeching rhetoric. This is, 'OK, the guy's unstable, everyone inside knows it, everyone outside knows it, let’s see if we can find a viable alternative,'” Scaramucci said Monday on CNN’s “New Day.”

The Jeffrey Epstein Scandal Is Much Bigger Than Jeffrey Epstein. Jeffrey Epstein is at the top of every news cycle, and dominates our digital social media world. His trafficking of young girls, children to satisfy his and the sexual preferences of so many of the rich and powerful, are the center of all this, as are his connections to that dark world of the unseemly side of the interaction between government, business, and the intelligence world, allegedly. https://www.truthdig.com/articles/the-jeffrey-epstein-scandal-is-much-bigger-than-jeffrey-epstein/

A top intelligence official interrupted a meeting to urge his deputy to resign. The country's No. 2 intelligence official, Sue Gordon, knew it was likely she would have to eventually step down from her post, but the timing of that decision became more urgent on Thursday after her boss -- outgoing spy chief Dan Coats -- interrupted a meeting she was holding on election security and asked his deputy to submit her letter of resignation, sources familiar with the events told CNN. While details of the conversation between Gordon, an intelligence veteran of more than 30 years, and Coats remain unclear, sources say that the situation clearly abruptly changed after the meeting was interrupted. Shortly after her encounter with Coats, Gordon submitted her letter of resignation to Vice President Mike Pence, though the document itself was addressed to Trump, according to officials, a highly unusual move that prompted some confusion among some West Wing officials who waited for the President's tweet confirming the news. The circumstances surrounding Gordon's resignation, including the role Coats appears to have played in the timing of her announcement, seem to indicate she was forced out for political reasons. "I offer this letter as an act of respect & patriotism, not preference. You should have your team," she wrote in a handwritten note to the President that was released by the White House. Gordon's abrupt departure, with only one week's notice, and Trump's longstanding hostility toward the intelligence community -- which he has publicly derided, likened to Nazis and disagreed with -- is likely to heighten concerns that the President may be trying to politicize agencies that are meant to stand apart from partisanship or politicking.
(link: https://cnn.it/2yOx7i6) cnn.it/2yOx7i6

Unsealed documents detail alleged Epstein victim’s recruitment at Mar-a-Lago. A trove of court documents unsealed Friday detail allegations by an alleged victim of wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein that while working as a teenage locker room attendant at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort nearly two decades ago she was recruited to give Epstein massages that often involved sexual activity. The roughly 2,000 pages of records released by the Manhattan-based 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals also show the same woman, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, appears to have claimed she had sex with a series of prominent men — including former politicians — at Epstein’s direction while working as a staff masseuse for the investment adviser, who eventually came under investigation in 2006 for sex trafficking over his involvement with teenage girls. https://politi.co/2OPS47j

Jeffrey Epstein's alleged sex trafficking victim named Bill Richardson, George Mitchell in newly released documents. Giuffre alleged in her own deposition that she was allegedly forced to have sex with Richardson, 71, Britain’s Prince Andrew, Hedge Fund manager Glenn Dubin, American scientist Marvin Minsky, “another prince,” “a large hotel chain owner,” Stephen Kauffman, and model scout Jean Luc Brunell. Meanwhile, included in the hundreds of pages of documents were pages of flight logs from Epstein’s private jet. Prominent individuals who had traveled on the jet, according to those records, included Bill Gates, who flew once, former President Bill Clinton and aide Doug Band, who flew four times, President Trump, who flew once in 1997 from Palm Beach to New York, Colombian President Andres Pastrana, Dershowitz, Hyatt Hotels Chairman Tom Pritzker, Brunel, and model and talent agent Naomi Campbell, among others. https://fxn.ws/33lwYRk #FoxNews

State Department foreign service officer resigns in blistering criticism of Trump. Chuck Park wrote in the op-ed that during his almost 10 years in the foreign service he "worked to spread what (he) believed were American values: freedom, fairness and tolerance." "But more and more I found myself in a defensive stance, struggling to explain to foreign peoples the blatant contradictions at home," he wrote. Park said that after the election of President Donald Trump, he had remained "complacent" and had "let career perks silence (his) conscience." "I let free housing, the countdown to a pension and the prestige of representing a powerful nation overseas distract me from ideals that once seemed so clear to me. I can't do that anymore," Park wrote. "My son, born in El Paso on the American side of that same Rio Grande where the bodies of Óscar Alberto Martínez Ramírez and his daughter were discovered, in the same city where 22 people were just killed by a gunman whose purported 'manifesto' echoed the inflammatory language of our President, turned 7 this month. I can no longer justify to him, or to myself, my complicity in the actions of this administration. That's why I choose to resign," he said. https://t.co/TJiTcXNy88

Victoria's Secret billionaire Leslie Wexner accuses Epstein of misappropriating 'vast sums of money' from him. Billionaire Leslie Wexner on Wednesday accused his former money manager Jeffrey Epstein of misappropriating millions of his fortune. The Wall Street Journal reported that Wexner, the billionaire behind Victoria's Secret, issued a statement to members of the Wexner Foundation, alleging that more than $46 million of his family's fortune was uncovered after the L Brands CEO decided to cut ties with Epstein in 2007. The Journal reported that Wexner began severing ties with Epstein after allegations emerged involving Epstein's sexual abuse of underage girls. “We discovered that he had misappropriated vast sums of money from me and my family,” Wexner told the foundation Wednesday, according to the Journal. “This was, frankly, a tremendous shock, even though it clearly pales in comparison to the unthinkable allegations against him now.” “All of that money — every dollar of it — was originally Wexner family money,” he said, according to the Journal. https://thehill.com/policy/finance/456645-victorias-secret-billionaire-leslie-wexner-accuses-epstein-of-misappropriating

Whistleblower Allegations Surfaced Just Before DNI Pick John Ratcliffe Withdrew. An email disclosing Rep. John Ratcliffe’s (R-TX) alleged involvement in a controversial whistleblowing case reached the White House prior to the announcement Friday that he was withdrawing his name from consideration for Director of National Intelligence, according to two sources with knowledge of the correspondence. The email, originally sent to the Senate Select Intelligence Committee, laid out how Ratcliffe promoted a company accused of being instrumental in the reprisal against a whistleblower and their cybersecurity efforts, according to one of those sources. The Government Accountability Project, an organization that protects whistleblowers, is helping represent the unnamed government employee. Details about the case are being closely held in part because of security reasons. The organization sent information on its client’s disclosure to the committee Wednesday morning. The email then circulated among Republicans in Washington, including some White House officials, who did not think Ratcliffe was up to the job of DNI, according to two sources with direct knowledge. https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-nominee-john-ratcliffes-ties-to-whistleblower-case-surfaced-as-officials-warned-against-him-for-dni

President Donald Trump on Friday said that his pick for director of national intelligence, Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Texas), will not proceed with the confirmation process, blaming “the LameStream Media.” President Donald Trump on Friday said that his pick for director of national intelligence, Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Texas), will not proceed with the confirmation process, blaming “the LameStream Media.” Trump tweeted Friday that he persuaded Ratcliffe to avoid “months of slander and libel,” saying that Ratcliffe had been “treated very unfairly by the LameStream Media,” and it would be “miserable... to deal with these people.” https://www.huffpost.com/entry/john-ratcliffe-trump-intel-nominee_n_5d447c7ae4b0acb57fcc226f

The confirmation of Craft, a Trump pick, ends a seven-month vacancy in an important diplomatic position. The Senate confirmed Trump nominee Kelly Knight Craft on Wednesday as ambassador to the United Nations, filling the role that's been vacant for roughly seven months. #MoscowMitch: The Senate just confirmed @POTUS's impressive nominee for the critical role of @USUN Ambassador: Kelly Knight Craft of #Kentucky. I’m confident our entire nation will be proud of the fine service she will render as our Ambassador to the United Nations. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/senate-confirms-kelly-knight-un-ambassador_n_5d4209fae4b0acb57fc6c100

The president's silent spokeswoman. In one of the most fiery months of the Trump presidency, the new press secretary has had very little to say.Stephanie Grisham is operating under a basic principle as President Donald Trump’s new chief spokesperson and communications director: Let Trump soak up all the media oxygen. She has not appeared on Fox News, the president’s favorite channel, or taken reporters’ questions in a gaggle from the White House driveway. https://politi.co/2JISRSK

‘It’s a disaster over there’: Commerce reaches new heights of dysfunction. Constant infighting among top officials. Sudden departures of senior staffers without explanation. A leader who is disengaged and prone to falling asleep in meetings. The Commerce Department has reached its apex of dysfunction under Wilbur Ross, according to four people with knowledge of the inner workings of the department. The 81-year-old Commerce secretary, who has for months endured whispers that he is on the outs, spends much of his time at the White House to try to retain President Donald Trump’s favor, the sources said, leaving his department adrift. https://politi.co/2M6h4En

A comprehensive list of former Fox employees who have joined the Trump administration http://mm4a.org/4bM

Pompeo layers over top State Dept. negotiator ahead of talks with Russia. The official, Andrea Thompson, stands accused of failing to disclose ties to a GOP operative caught up in the Maria Butina affair. https://politi.co/2ki2spE

The White House refused to let Kellyanne Conway appear the first time, so it wasn’t a surprise she didn't show up to a second congressional hearing, even with a subpoena. The White House said President Trump’s counselor “cannot be compelled to testify.” White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway did not show up to testify at a hearing on Monday about Hatch Act violations for a second time, despite being issued a subpoena by the House Oversight and Reform Committee following her absence at the first hearing last month. “In defiance of that subpoena, Ms. Conway is, again, refusing to appear,” Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) said during opening statements. Cummings said he hoped Conway would reconsider her decision not to testify, but if not, the committee will have a meeting to hold her in contempt on July 25. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/kellyanne-conway-defies-subpoena_n_5d2ce22ae4b0bca60363fc8e

Alexander Acosta stepping down as Labor secretary. Acosta, a 50-year-old Harvard-educated lawyer, came newly under fire for the lenient 2008 plea deal after Epstein was re-arrested July 6 in New York City and charged with sex trafficking. Under the earlier plea agreement, Epstein served only 13 months of an 18-month term and was permitted daily furloughs to go to the office. Epstein also was required to register as a sex offender and to pay restitution to his underage victims. https://politi.co/2JJpdvB

Mike Pompeo unveils panel to examine 'unalienable rights'. The panel will be headed up by Mary Ann Glendon, a Harvard law professor and former ambassador to the Vatican under George W. Bush. Glendon is also a social conservative who has been a prominent anti-abortion voice, which could lend credence to the concerns among human rights activists that the commission is a ploy to undercut LGBTQ and women’s rights under the guise of religious liberty. https://politi.co/2NGeCXA

‘The next 72 hours are critical for Acosta’. Trump aides so far are not bothered by Acosta's role in the controversial Epstein plea deal, but are aware of the headline risk. https://politi.co/2NGOCLG

Jeffrey Epstein prosecutors aided by ‘excellent investigative journalism’. Berman’s comments at the news conference — which came in response to a question about whether prosecutors had obtained new information about Epstein, who pleaded not guilty — prompted a round of celebrations from journalists. But they also renewed questions about why the allegations against the financier, who has counted presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton as friends, were not deeply investigated much earlier. https://politi.co/2NEBBlG via @politico

Jeffrey Epstein arrested in New York, charged with sex trafficking. Epstein, 66, is expected to be arraigned in federal court in New York on Monday on charges that he molested dozens of underage girls in New York and in Florida, the sources said. His arrest, first reported by the Daily Beast, comes nearly two weeks after the Justice Department announced that it would not throw out his 2008 non-prosecution agreement, even though a federal judge ruled it was illegal. Read more here: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article232374872.html“

I've known Jeff for fifteen years. Terrific guy. He's a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them on the younger side. Jeffrey enjoys his social life.” – Donald J. Trump in 2002

Ocasio-Cortez: Ivanka Trump is not a 'qualified diplomat' Ocasio-Cortez was reacting to the viral video, posted by BBC journalist Parham Ghobadi, which he described as Ivanka Trump, a senior adviser to President Trump, trying to “get involved” in a conversation with several world leaders: French President Emmanuel Macron, United Kingdom Prime Minister Theresa May, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and International Monetary Fund Chairwoman Christine Lagarde. The encounter drew widespread mockery online. https://news.yahoo.com/ocasio-cortez-ivanka-trump-152932324.html

Former White House lawyer: 'I’m not aware of any situation like' Elaine Chao's reported conflicts of interest. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao’s personal connections are raising concerns on Capitol Hill and beyond amid recent reports of various conflicts of interest. Recent reports found that the Trump cabinet member created a “special path” for projects favored by Senate Majority Leader and husband Mitch McConnell for his home state of Kentucky; she retained shares in a construction-materials company for more than a year after promising to relinquish them; and she has “extraordinary proximity to power in China” given her family’s American shipping company is largely based in China. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/elaine-chao-conflicts-interest-reports-133505604.html

Five memorable moments from Sarah Sanders at the White House. During the May 2017 briefing, she claimed that “countless” FBI agents had reached out to voice their support for Trump’s decision to fire James Comey as the bureau’s director. New York Times reporter Michael Shear skeptically questioned that statement, and Sanders doubled down. “Between, like, email, text messages, absolutely. Yes,” she said. “We’re not going to get into a numbers game. I mean, I have heard from a large number of individuals that work at the FBI that said that they’re very happy with the president’s decision.” Special counsel Robert Mueller’s report into Russian interference in the 2016 election revealed two years after the incident that Sanders admitted she had misled reporters with the claim. https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/448630-five-memorable-moments-from-sarah-sanders-at-the-white-house

Can you tell Scaramucci from Spicer? Which Ex–Trump Official Said It? A quiz in honor of Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ departure from the White House.

Andrew McCabe celebrates Sarah Sanders' exit from White House: 'I have to say I will not miss her'. MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace asked McCabe to weigh in on Sanders' exit, specifically the revelation in the Mueller report where she admitted that she was not being truthful about what she suggested was the lack of the bureau support for then-FBI Director James Comey following his firing. “You know, I knew at the time it was completely false,” McCabe responded. “It was also obvious that it was very important to the president and to his staff that we all adopt that false narrative that the FBI was happy about the fact that Jim Comey was fired, and that gleeful agents and employees were calling over to the White House to express that. Never happened, completely false from the beginning, so to see that admission in the Mueller report was enormously satisfying. I have to say I will not miss her after she departs the White House.” https://fxn.ws/2XenneR #FoxNews

House Oversight to hold hearing on Conway's Hatch Act violations. Under the Hatch Act, federal employees are prohibited from engaging in elections in their official capacity. The Office of Special Counsel sent a 17-page report to Trump on Thursday accusing Conway of breaking the law on numerous occasions “by disparaging Democratic presidential candidates while speaking in her official capacity during television interviews and on social media” and calling on the president to oust her "immediately." https://thehill.com/homenews/house/448435-house-oversight-to-hold-hearing-on-conways-hatch-act-violations

Ocasio-Cortez hits NYT over story on Hope Hicks: It's framed 'as some Lifetime drama'. "What gets me is news breaks that this woman is weighing committing a crime before Congress &it’s getting framed by the NYT as some Lifetime drama called 'Hope’s Choice'" Ocasio-Cortez wrote in one tweet. "In the immediate aftermath of shootings, media routinely post menacing photos of people-of-color victims + dredge up any questionable thing they’d ever done," she wrote in another tweet. "But when Hope Hicks considers not complying w a subpoena, it’s glamour shot time." https://thehill.com/homenews/media/445614-ocasio-cortez-hits-nyt-over-story-on-hope-hicks-its-framed-as-some-lifetime

Melania Trump’s parents would have struggled to come to the U.S. under Trump’s immigration plan. David Leopold, past president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, dismissed Trump’s plan as a campaign ploy. But he said it was no surprise that Trump is seeking to devastate family reunifications. “That is the consistent theme of this administration,” he said, “Yet, Melania has benefited from the immigration system; his in-laws are here because of the immigration system. He demonizes immigrants when he is benefiting and profiting from undocumented workers at his golf club.” “For them to talk about the immigration system is an absolute joke and it’s shameful,” Leopold said. https://wapo.st/2vZKavR

Trump’s pick for ICE director: I can tell which migrant children will become gang members by looking into their eyes. Mark Morgan, the White House choice to lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said during a Fox News interview earlier this year that he can judge the likelihood that an unaccompanied minor will become a gang member by looking into that child's eyes. “I’ve been to detention facilities where I’ve walked up to these individuals that are so-called minors, 17 or under,” Morgan said on “Tucker Carlson Tonight” in January. “I’ve looked at them and I’ve looked at their eyes, Tucker — and I’ve said that is a soon-to-be MS-13 gang member. It’s unequivocal.” https://politi.co/2JpsO41

‘Get Scavino in here’: Trump’s Twitter guru is the ultimate insider. “Get Dan Scavino in here,” Trump called out in the middle of the meeting earlier this year. In walked a man in his early 40s with close-cropped brown hair. Scavino met Trump as a 16-year-old golf caddie and has spent much of his adult life by his side. Today, he sits just feet from the Oval Office and is present at most meetings, tapping away on his laptop in the background. He has joined Trump on trips to Saudi Arabia, Argentina and other far-flung destinations. And officials say he talks to the president more than just about anybody else aside from Trump’s own family members, ping-ponging in and out of the Oval, sometimes more than a half-dozen times a day. Aides wanting a read on Trump’s mood often check in with Scavino, who can be counted on to know. https://politi.co/2JJC2aE via @politico

Rudy, Inc. Rudy Giuliani has had many identities in his time on the public stage. A crusading federal prosecutor who struck terror in mobsters and Wall Street titans alike. A sometimes cantankerous New York City mayor who became a national hero for his stirring leadership after the 9/11 attacks. And, currently, President Donald Trump’s unpaid attorney in the Russia collusion investigation being led by Robert Mueller. In this week’s episode of Trump, Inc., we’re digging into a part of Giuliani's work that has occurred largely outside of the spotlight: He has often traveled to Russia or other former Soviet states as guests of powerful players there. And since Trump was elected, he appears to have stepped up the frequency of those trips. Just last week, for example, Giuliani appeared in the former Soviet republic of Armenia, which has close trade ties with Russia. He was invited, according to local press accounts, by Ara Abramyan, an Armenian businessman who lives in Russia. Abramyan once helped reconstruct the Kremlin and also received a medal for “merit to the fatherland” from President Vladimir Putin of Russia. Giuliani said he was in Armenia as a private citizen, but on a local TV news show, Abramyan implied that he expected Giuliani to carry a message for him to Trump. (The conversation was in Armenian, so it’s not clear whether Giuliani understood what Abramyan was saying.) http://www.wnycstudios.org/story/trump-inc-rudy-inc/ via @wnycstudios

Trump Furious With Ally David Bossie Over His Reported Self-Dealing. The president even instructed top officials on his campaign to retaliate against his former deputy campaign manager. On Tuesday, they finally did. On Monday morning, Donald Trump was incensed over a report that one of his highest-profile supporters, David Bossie, had been engaged in apparent financial self-dealing under the guise of re-electing the president. And as he stewed, Trump began telling those close to him that Bossie’s alleged scheme was brazen and egregious enough to warrant a swift, public response. https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-furious-with-ally-david-bossie-over-his-reported-self-dealing

Why a Former Met Gala Planner is Fighting With Melania Trump and Her Spokeswoman. Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, the longtime Met Gala planner turned lead organizer for Donald Trump’s inaugural celebration and former senior adviser to Melania Trump, was unceremoniously fired by the First Lady last February—and she is very upset at her (possibly former) friends, the Trumps. More specifically, she is upset at White House officials who characterized her departure as stemming from the revelation that her firm, which was called WIS Media Partners, had received a whopping $26 million to help plan the inauguration. “Was I fired? No,” Winston Wolkoff said in a statement she sent to the New York Times. “Did I personally receive $26 million or $1.6 million? No. Was I thrown under the bus? Yes.” How pissed do you have to be to mark the 14-month anniversary of getting fired by unloading on your former friend-turned-former-boss? Let us unwrap this beef, shall we? https://theslot.jezebel.com/unwrapping-the-beef-why-a-former-met-gala-planner-is-f-1834579259

Economists quit Trump admin after their studies showed tariffs hurt US farmers: report. Trump administration economists are quitting their jobs, saying they've faced retaliation for publishing reports highlighting how President Trump's tariffs and other trade policies have hurt farmers, Politico reports. Six economists in the Agriculture Department's (USDA) research branch quit the Trump administration in a single day late last month and more are reportedly planning to leave. The exodus comes after the Economic Research Service (ERS) published findings that painted the new Republican tax law, Trump's trade disputes and other policy decisions as hurting American farmers financially. https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/442452-economists-quit-trump-admin-after-their-studies-showed-tariffs-hurt

Stephen Moore: Trump's Federal Reserve pick withdraws nomination. In a letter to Trump released after the president’s tweet, Moore said: “The unrelenting attacks on my character have become untenable for me and my family and three more months of this would be too hard on us.” Earlier on Thursday, the Guardian revealed that Moore had continued underpaying alimony to his ex-wife for years after he was reprimanded by a judge for failing to pay his debts to her. Moore was, in 2012, found in contempt of court for failing to pay $300,000 in alimony and money owed in his divorce settlement. He was separately pursued by the Internal Revenue Service for $75,000 in unpaid taxes. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/may/02/stephen-moore-trump-federal-reserve-nominee-withdraws-latest

What Was the Chinese Woman Arrested at Mar-a-Lago Really Up To? A Former Spy Helps Us Figure It Out. For now, it is impossible to say if Zhang was a confused tourist, who just wanted a glimpse of the president, or a bumbling Chinese intelligence officer whose cover story cracked. But one thing is for sure: Mar-a-Lago is target-rich environment for any real spy. https://politi.co/2PjAmFG

White House press secretary responds to report - GMA - Pressed repeatedly on her comments on FBI agents, Sarah Sanders tells @GStephanopoulos, "It was the heat of the moment, meaning that it wasn't a scripted talking point. I'm sorry that I wasn't a robot like the Democratic Party" was about Mueller probe. https://twitter.com/ABC/status/1119197778482057216https://gma.abc/2Pr3ew1 via @GMA

Sarah Sanders told Mueller’s team she had no basis for her statements about Comey. Watch her make those 2017 claims. Sarah Sanders told Mueller's team she lied to reporters. Here's the video of the lie. https://politi.co/2vbWCZ6 via @politico

Hypocrisy without borders: the pomposity of Ivanka Trump’s trip to Africa | Arwa Mahdawi. We don’t deserve Saint Ivanka, we really don’t. Nobody asked Donald Trump’s favourite child to devote her life to empowering women, she just knew it had to be done. Nobody elected her to serve in the US government, but she took a senior role in her father’s administration anyway. And not content with simply empowering the women of the US, the patron saint of nepotists, hypocrites and grifters has altruistically taken her talents on tour. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/apr/16/hypocrisy-without-borders-ivanka-trump-trip-africa-ethiopia-ivory-coast

'Smart Enough' Twitter Critics Smack Down Sarah Huckabee Sanders' Insult Over Trump's Taxes. “I don’t think Congress, particularly not this group of congressmen and women, are smart enough to look through the thousands of pages that I would assume President Trump’s taxes will be,” Sanders told “Fox News Sunday.” She added: “My guess is most of them don’t do their own taxes, and I certainly don’t trust them to look through the decades of success that the president has and determine anything.” https://www.yahoo.com/news/sarah-huckabee-sanders-twitter-not-smart-enough-taxes-024645737.html

Little Stevie Miller is No Wonder. Speaking of white nationalists (how’s that for a segue?), that brings me to Santa Monica’s own, Stephen Miller who, at 33, has ascended to Trump’s “immigration czar.” Miller, who bears a striking resemblance to the infamous Roy Cohn, Joseph McCarthy’s hatchet man during the “red scare” of the 1950’s. After being disbarred and disgraced, Cohn became Trump’s mentor. Figures. Meanwhile, Miller even dresses like Cohn with his retro “skinny suits” and soulless facial expressions. https://www.smdp.com/little-stevie-miller-is-no-wonder/174240 via @Santa Monica Daily Press

Ivanka Trump spent years rigorously cultivating her image. But she wasn’t prepared for scrutiny, @elainaplott writes: As part of her research, Plott looked for concrete examples of ways that Ivanka had stopped her father from enacting an extreme policy that she believed went too far — and she came up empty. “I remember thinking, ‘Okay, we see Ivanka and her husband Jared as moderating influences on this president,'” she said. “I was trying to dig up where the first time was that she might have said she was pro-choice, for example, or that she was a huge activist when it came to climate change. And it just didn’t exist. It’s just nowhere.” https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/04/ivanka-trump-job-white-house/586972/

Trump’s sister quietly retired in February, and it’s actually a really big deal. The retirement of a federal appeals court judge is normally not a huge national news story, and while the fact that Maryanne Trump Barry is the sister of the president of the United States makes her decision a bit more noteworthy, on its face, you can still see why it’s been treated as relatively minor news. But peer a little bit deeper and the reason Barry is stepping down makes it clear that the story is a very big deal indeed. The key is that last fall, the New York Times published a bombshell investigation of Donald and Maryanne Trump’s father Fred Trump’s finances that appeared to reveal, among other things, that he illegally evaded taxes in transferring much of his wealth to his children — including both Donald and Maryanne. https://www.vox.com/2019/4/11/18306167/maryanne-trump-barry-tax-returns-trump

Inside the (semi-)secret society for young Trump staffers. For members of 'the Team,' the 45 Club offers refuge in a hostile capital. https://politi.co/2UvSK3Z via @politico

‘I would have preferred not to have been ejected like an Austin Powers villain’ “He’s always thinking optics. Everything, whether it’s policy or a staff move, he’s always thinking about it in terms of PR,” said former White House staffer Cliff Sims, who wrote a tell-all book about the administration, drawing Trump’s ire. “And one of his favorite talking points is, ‘We’re going to hire the best and the brightest, everybody wants to work for me,’ and so any implication or public perception that someone abandoned him, someone left him, I think in his mind, undercuts that premise.” Most of the time, however, the endings are not happy. And Trump often blindsides his own aides, announcing major departures on his own timeline. Last December, before leaving the White House for the Army-Navy football game, Trump made a point to pause in front of reporters and announce the upcoming ouster of then-White House chief of staff John Kelly. That upended his aides’ plans for a formal rollout of news about Kelly two days later. https://politi.co/2FWXZ2C via @politico

Opinion | Charles Kushner: Here’s the truth about my family and our business. But then came the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008. Amid the global recession that followed, the New York real estate market soured. The projected office rents for 666 Fifth Ave. were cut in half. That was a setback, but we had structured our